The last match of the second round took to the portable rink here at Potters Resort in the ‘Just’ 2018 World Indoor Open Singles Championships and it was Scottish Ace, Ranked at No. 7 in the WBT World Indoor Rankings up against the Potters Resort wildcard, local PBA member Wayne Willgress. Willgress had earned his wildcard as being amongst the top PBA qualifiers who had shown exciting promise through the ranks of the Professional Bowls Association.
Willgress had a coach load of supporters turn up to cheer him on and they most certainly did throughout the match. Into the first set and it was Anderson that kicked off with a treble and a single but then let it slip as he dropped a stunning full house of four in the the third end. Recovering he held shot but it was Willgress with damaging running bowls, to the roar of his supporters, that took the next two ends also with a double and a single. Recovering from this it was a determined Anderson that took the next two ends with a double and a single to bring the match back to level at 7 all. Into the eighth end and again Anderson held shot, yet again it was Willgress that powered a drive to take a double away. On end nine Anderson responded in like kind to take a double to finish the set at 9 all.
Second set and it was Anderson that rose a notch as he 6-2 lead by end five as he held off Willgress. In a slip though Willgress was back in the hunt as Anderson lost a count of 4 in end six after he narrowly missed the head by millimetres with two successive bowls. In a very rare occurrence it happened yet again in end seven and Anderson lost yet another count of four and all of a sudden the pendulum had swung heavily back to the Willgress side. End eight and Anderson was 6,4 down and Willgress struck, Anderson stands back in desperation as Willgress takes a count of three to go 6,13. Set and match to the wildcard, Wayne Willgress and as he kneels on the rink in exhaustion his partner leaps into the rink to give him a big hug and his supporters crowd the rinkside to shake his hand. Willgress goes through to the quarter finals where he faces the World No. 1, Greg Harlow, on the second afternoon match tomorrow. The stadium will be absolutely jam packed and is sure to be a lively affair.