Second semi final of the afternoon in the mixed pairs saw England’s Robert Paxton and Ellen Falkner up against the pairing of Scotland’s Paul Foster MBE and England’s Janice Gower. With Paxton and Falkner already previously winning here before they were a tough pair though Paul Foster has won the World Indoor Singles no less that five times before with Gower being the English Indoor Ladies single champion.
In the first set it was Falkner/Paxton that got off to a great start and had the edge on Gower/Foster as they took a lead 5,1 by the third end. It was Paxton that found some great bowls as skip that put Foster under pressure but ends four and five saw Gower/Foster take three shots to be only one behind. It was Paxton that really found some great skips bowls though in the last two ends to take a further three shots to take the first set 8,4.
Second set and it looked for a moment as if Falkner and Paxton were going to run away with it as they took three shots in the first two ends. However, Gower and Foster came right back with some good bowls between them to level the score to three all on end four. It was Paxton that played two great shots in ends five and six to take two singles to go two shots up going into the last end. In a massive push to get a tie break it was Foster that found two superb bowls to grab a count of three which gave Gower and Foster the second set 5,6 and the much needed tie break.
In the tie break the bowls heads kept changing in rapid succession but it was Gower and Foster that held the first end after Paxton tried to clear away two against with a running bowl and missed. End two and this time it was Falkner and Paxton that held shot and Foster ran at it and missed. One end apiece. End three and again Foster was left with shots against with a bowl to go, running bowl and jack to respot but was left with shot against. End and match to Falkner and Paxton who go through to the Mixed Pairs Final against Brett and Carman next Tuesday afternoon which will be live on the BBC.