First match of the afternoon here at the 5star Potters Resort in the ‘Just’ World Indoor Mixed Pairs Championships it was the pairings of Scotland’s David Gourlay MBE with England’s Janice Gower up against Engalnd’s Greg Harlow and from Guernsey his pairs partner, Alison Merrien MBE. The arena was packed solid and the atmosphere was brilliant.
The first set and it was really a match that should be watched back on the WBT Youtube stream as all four players were in good humour and fine fettle as they played superb bowls between them all. It was a great match as both pairs fought it out. Harlow and Merrien kicked it off with a single count in the first end but then it was the brilliance of Gourlay over Harlow that turned the tide as no matter what was there in the head of bowls he simply just kept coming. No matter what Harlow did it was Gourlay that took end after end and he and Gower finished up with the first set 8,1.
The second was just a complete reverse of the first set as Merrien found her line and length a little more often than Gower but this time it was Harlow that turned it on. End after end no matter what was there he swept aside bowls, played great conversions and simply had a great and superb run of quality bowls to take the second set 0,9.
Into the tie beak and what luck there was went Harlow’s way and despite all the Gourlay and Gower did it was Harlow and Merrien that took the first two ends - even the tightest of measures went to Harlow and it is Harlow and Merrien that go through to the final.