It was Scotland’s Alex Marshall MBE up against England’s Billy Jackson this afternoon in the Co-op Funeralcare International Open here at Blackpool and Marshall turned on an exciting show of quality, inch perfect bowls. In the first set though he did not get it all his own way as Jackson fought back with some exciting shots to stay in the set. It was 3 all by the 5th end but then Marshall took a treble in the 6th end to go 6-3 in the lead - then it was Jackson that produced some stunning bowls to take the next two ends with a double and a single to make it 6 all in the 8th end. After the dust had settled though it was Marshall that snuck a single to take the first set 7-6.
Into the second set and here it was Marshall that then turned on an awesome display of top class bowls as he simply denied Jackson any shot all at. Whenever Jackson held shot Marshall went one better at all times and went to take the set totally away from Jackson in 7 ends with a 9 -1 scoreline. This was not a matter of Jackson not playing well - it was Marshall playing at literally the top level of the sport!!