Scotland’s Julie Forrest is the new ‘Just’ 2019 Ladies World Indoor Singles Champion

24 January, 2019

The Ladies World Indoor Singles Final saw Scotland’s 7 x National Indoor Singles up against former World Indoor Ladies Singles Champion from Guernsey, Alison Merrien MBE in what promised to be a great match.

Julie Forrest

Forrest very quickly showed how ready for this she was as she started with inch perfect bowls, putting Merrien under pressure from the immediate start. Merrien too, was ready for the final, not giving an inch and this match developed into a storming match. The first four ends went to Forrest with Merrien taking the next two in great success. Set score on the sixth end 5,2 to Forrest. It was Forrest that took the next two ends in a great tussle with Merrien with two singles to go 7,3 up. End ten and this time it was Merrien that held and Forrest was unable to change the head, Merrien takes a four to level the set 7,7.  Last end and again it was Forrest with a great bowl that takes asingle and set 8,7.

Into the second set and it was Forrest again that came out of the first four ends at 4,0 up. Merrien was playing well but Forrest was just getting past the post each time. End five Merrien took a single but it was end four that Forrest misjudged and Merrien was able to collect a great full house of four. By end six the score stood at 6,6 – ends nine and ten it was two each, all square at 8,8 and last end to play. It was Merrien holding two shots, Forrest with last bowl and a difficult head to get into to – there was a front bowl plant that was possible but it to be 100% accurate and an exact weight in order to create a single shot out of it. Forrest took a timeout to think about it and then played the running shot, she was exactly right and it is Forrest that takes the single and match to become the Ladies Indoor World Singles Champion 2019.

Alison Merrien MBE