First match of the day in the Co-op Funeralcare International Open here at Newton Hall Holiday Park was between Greg Harlow and Les ‘ Razor’ Gillett and it was Harlow that just piled on the pressure throughout the match. It was Gillett that started out well taking a double and a single in the first two ends but it was Harlow in the 3rd end that played a superb bowl to claim a treble and level the score. Harlow carried on to take two singles but the Gillett honed back in with a double and a single to go 5-6 up in the 7th. But it was Harlow that stepped up yet again and took two doubles off the ‘Razor’ in the next two ends to take the first set 9-6. Yet Gillett had played well, just that Harlow played better with some superb bowls.
Into the 2nd set and it was Harlow that came out absolutely storming and no matter what Gillett did it was harlow that came out on the top. Gillett took the first end with a single but then Harlow took the next 4 ends to go 7-1 up. Gillett sharpened up and took the next three ends with a treble and two singles to only be 1 behind in the last end. Gillett was lying 3 shots with bowls no more than inch away from the jack, Harlow had played twice to dislodge the head and missed by a whisker and had last bowl - he elected to draw - his bowl was absolutely inch perfect as he drew through the smallest of openings and nestled up to the jack and stopped the ‘Razor’ dead in his tracks to take the second set 8-6 and match to get into the quarter finals.