Blake Nairn from Australia knew he had a tough draw as he faced Scotland’s Stewart Anderson and so it proved as Anderson came out all guns blazing determined to ensure he made his way through to round two here at the Co-op Funeralcare International Open being staged at Blackpool’s Newton Hall Holiday Park. The first set and it was Anderson that opened up with bowls that simply left Nairn with no where to go. Despite everything that Nairn literally threw at the head sometimes, Anderson was 8,0 up at the close of the fourth end. Nairn kept pushing though and picked up a double on the fifth and and another double on the seventh end but was still the wrong side of the scoreline going into end eight 10,4 down. Anderson denied him any further opportunity after playing a great end to take 2 shots and set 12,4.
Into the second set and Nairn again came out still smiling and finding a little more precision. The crowd had got behing him and urged both him and his bowls onwards and it seemed to work as Nairn put bowls really close and was 3,5 up by the close of the fifth end. Nairn took anoth double in the next end and it all looked as if the tie break was looming but it was Anderson that turned up the power as he took first a double then a single to go into the last end end one shot behind Nairn, 6,7. Nairn drew first shot and Anderson just tickled him out, Nairn just slightly overdrew and passed the jack and Anderson put in another close one, Nairn dropped his short and Anderson slid in another. Again Nairn dropped short and Anderson drew a side bowl, Nairn played a runner looking to connect his front and drive out Andersons, he did get the connection but it was slightly wide and after the dust had settled it was Anderson that lay 3 shots to take the set and match 9,7