10/11/15

:02:12. > :02:29.The bottom half of the draw will be sorted out tomorrow. Hello and a

:02:30. > :02:35.warm welcome to this fine arena in Perth. We are a girly anticipating

:02:36. > :02:39.this event. Yesterday was a great day and today will be better. I

:02:40. > :02:46.guarantee it. The first match is David Holt against Darren Burnett.

:02:47. > :02:51.2014 was an extraordinary year for Darren. In the early months he won

:02:52. > :02:56.the world indoor singles and followed that with gold for Scotland

:02:57. > :03:00.in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He won the Scottish

:03:01. > :03:05.International title here in Perth, if he wanted, it would be

:03:06. > :03:10.wonderful. David Holt knocked out the former world champion John Price

:03:11. > :03:15.with a lovely display of precision balls in the first round. Born in

:03:16. > :03:21.Eccles, he moved to Australia 12 years ago but has won Commonwealth

:03:22. > :03:31.goal for England. -- Commonwealth gold. I thought I played early

:03:32. > :03:38.consistently. I can only improve. No doubt about it. I put balls at the

:03:39. > :03:44.head and out is the key, try and get as many as you can and hopefully you

:03:45. > :03:49.will get the reward. You can only play who you are playing and at

:03:50. > :03:56.times be as consistent as you can. In tourist real balls, not the tour,

:03:57. > :04:00.I have been going pretty good. You enter a qualifier and I think about

:04:01. > :04:06.six or seven games to get through. Yes, it's nice, but I have got my

:04:07. > :04:11.family in Manchester, it was an added bonus. It is like a free trip

:04:12. > :04:17.to see my family, that is the main reason I gave it a go. David is a

:04:18. > :04:24.class player, played for England. He is a really quality player. I will

:04:25. > :04:30.have to be as good if not better to give myself a good chance. You can

:04:31. > :04:34.win a round here and a lot of Australians do not win a round and

:04:35. > :04:39.that was a bonus, to get through the first round. It will not be an easy

:04:40. > :04:41.game, there will not be many easy second-round games and I must enjoy

:04:42. > :04:55.it, I have nothing to lose. I am on ladies and gentlemen, please give a

:04:56. > :04:57.warm welcome to our competitors. First, it is David Holt!

:04:58. > :05:17.APPLAUSE And up against David, the former

:05:18. > :05:20.world champion and current Commonwealth singles champion...

:05:21. > :05:41.Darren Burnett! APPLAUSE

:05:42. > :05:44.This should be a wonderful match, enjoy yet live with our commentary

:05:45. > :05:50.team, Paul Mitchell and David Corkhill. Thank you and good

:05:51. > :05:57.afternoon everyone. Darren Burnett lost just two ends and faces a

:05:58. > :06:08.different prospect in the shape of David Holt. Got through his first

:06:09. > :06:11.round, has a chance to see what the surface is like, bringing back a

:06:12. > :06:20.feud memories and see if he can find a way past Darren Burnett. -- a view

:06:21. > :06:24.memories. I don't think too many people in the southern hemisphere

:06:25. > :06:29.will take too much notice of David saying he is here for a holiday. He

:06:30. > :06:37.is a competitor and he is here to win and we all know that. The people

:06:38. > :06:43.that remember him from years ago, they have been tracking his career

:06:44. > :06:49.down in Sydney, Australia, over the last number of years, it has been a

:06:50. > :06:52.successful one. Place a lot of good, high-level competitions and

:06:53. > :06:56.doors very well. The speed of this car but is not totally dissimilar to

:06:57. > :07:16.the outdoor greens that he plays on. Immediately opens up with a shorter

:07:17. > :07:40.length Jack. One behind and one in front.

:07:41. > :07:46.I have noticed in some matches, when the joint is very short, some

:07:47. > :07:52.players are feeling the forehand more often than the backhand. A

:07:53. > :07:57.longer Jack length, the backhand seems to be reliable, good swing.

:07:58. > :08:14.Just toiling a bit, this one. Darren is on the outside of the mat,

:08:15. > :08:20.trying to help the ball back on the bias. He still has two push it out

:08:21. > :08:28.wide, he cannot go narrow to it. This looks better.

:08:29. > :08:37.APPLAUSE David missed the chance to close it

:08:38. > :08:50.down with his second and third bowl. It comes on to his backhand.

:08:51. > :08:58.Again, the weight of that is the issue. It's frustrating, when you

:08:59. > :09:03.have played your first a foot or two behind the Jack and you drop your

:09:04. > :09:10.next short. If it had hit it a little bit it would not have been

:09:11. > :09:15.too bad. It is one of those ones. You miss a chance with the middle

:09:16. > :09:24.to, don't expect to keep Darren away from that.

:09:25. > :09:35.He will take the single. That was a bad end from Darren. But he played

:09:36. > :09:41.just the one good bowl and will be happy to take the single out of it.

:09:42. > :09:46.Very interesting history to David Holt over the years. Came from a

:09:47. > :09:53.crown green background, up in the Northwest. Manchester direction, the

:09:54. > :10:03.manager of the Blackpool indoor oiling club for a member of years.

:10:04. > :10:07.-- number of years. I used to go over to those myself at one stage.

:10:08. > :10:16.The unpredictability of that was that there were various rinks that

:10:17. > :10:25.worked with different bowls and it changed every game. He visited the

:10:26. > :10:34.side of that former club when he was last over and he was disappointed to

:10:35. > :10:53.see that it is no more. Another successful club has taken over.

:10:54. > :11:12.That line was good. See how short he was.

:11:13. > :11:19.As Darren was saying in his interview, you cannot take liberties

:11:20. > :11:24.going through to the second round. But with people like David, his

:11:25. > :11:28.track record, the fact that he is playing such a high-class game in

:11:29. > :11:38.Australia, it makes a massive difference.

:11:39. > :11:56.He has had good success in Australia, especially of late, the

:11:57. > :11:57.champion in 2013. Qualified to play in the world Champion of champions

:11:58. > :12:05.competition. That has come down well here. A good

:12:06. > :12:37.second. He is close with this. Brilliant.

:12:38. > :12:55.Really well played. A choice here for Darren Burnett. He

:12:56. > :13:04.watches as he walks back, that is a lovely shot with the green bowls. It

:13:05. > :13:09.will not be easy, this shot, you have to narrow down the green on the

:13:10. > :13:17.forehand. He might be better going stronger at it and that is what he

:13:18. > :13:25.is doing. He has got a chance. Now... Will the red bowl stay on and

:13:26. > :13:36.it has! Just got a very thin edge. Looked to be bang on target. He will

:13:37. > :13:45.be very happy with that result. His bowl staining was the key. --

:13:46. > :13:49.staying in. It is tricky enough to beat this because he will have to

:13:50. > :13:54.play across it, he cannot play the narrow side, it will bend away too

:13:55. > :14:01.much so he will have to play the forehand and come across the ring.

:14:02. > :14:08.He had a look to see what his options were. This is a hard shot to

:14:09. > :14:13.play. This new line, when he crosses the centre line, it will bend very

:14:14. > :14:16.quickly so it is down to the amount of weight that he has. But he played

:14:17. > :14:30.that well. Very good. Good play from both players. They

:14:31. > :14:35.have found form. John Price, the Scottish coach, watching on.

:14:36. > :14:46.Watching for Darren Burnett, of course. He is part of the team going

:14:47. > :14:50.off to Cyprus in two or three weeks. That is the world qualifier, for New

:14:51. > :14:58.Zealand next year, Scotland are sending out incredibly strong team,

:14:59. > :15:06.taking absolutely no chances. 24 and a half metres. Scotland are not

:15:07. > :15:11.strong enough in any number of sports, we cannot take any chances

:15:12. > :15:17.with qualification. When you send out that team, believe me... The new

:15:18. > :15:25.player they are bringing in, Stuart Anderson... He has got a future!

:15:26. > :15:29.Yes, he has. Laughter-macro a couple of more years and he will know what

:15:30. > :16:10.he is doing. But this is turning out to be a wonderful contest.

:16:11. > :16:18.A little bit unlucky, it has come across that and friended. But I

:16:19. > :16:26.think he can play through this. It is an invitation to have a little

:16:27. > :16:38.run. Run it through the gap. That is actually a better end now for David.

:16:39. > :16:52.Both of the Bulls went off the ring. The ideal for Darren would have been

:16:53. > :16:58.to run the Jack through. It is almost exactly the same and I cannot

:16:59. > :17:05.imagine Darren changing the shot on this one. Damage limitation. One or

:17:06. > :17:12.two bowls out at those angles. A chance for both of them this time.

:17:13. > :17:19.Yes, there they go. The Jack will go on the restart and it will be very

:17:20. > :17:26.far away from anything else. It will be a 1 bowl drawing competition. A

:17:27. > :17:34.smile! Even early in the match, that is good for Darren. He has made two

:17:35. > :17:48.strikes... And a big smile. There is the re-spot. Moving out of the way.

:17:49. > :18:00.David deciding to come across the rink again. Must be playing with

:18:01. > :18:10.strong bias bowls. Moving to the re-spot position. Not bad. But it is

:18:11. > :18:16.beatable. He would have liked to have been another 15 or eight team

:18:17. > :18:21.inches closer. Darren Burnett has the option of following that, he

:18:22. > :18:27.could change his hand and playwright out to the edge of the rink. He

:18:28. > :18:37.would normally play a narrow side but the green bowl has come across.

:18:38. > :18:41.The open side. It is all down to the weight and the line is good enough,

:18:42. > :18:59.it seemed to get away a little bit gentle. David Holt...

:19:00. > :19:07.That will feel like a shot Darren dropped rather than his opponent

:19:08. > :19:17.earning it. His opponent dropping so short. That is the thing. Played two

:19:18. > :19:20.drives and trying to get his weight going across. If the Jack had been

:19:21. > :19:24.in the middle he would have been very disappointed. Two drives and

:19:25. > :19:30.playing across like that, it is hard to get it right. But it is just the

:19:31. > :19:35.one shot, he will not worry too much about that. This will be an

:19:36. > :19:41.interesting battle. Tactically, there will be nothing between these

:19:42. > :19:44.two players. Darren has greater experience on the indoor portable

:19:45. > :21:56.rink. There was three against him, a good

:21:57. > :22:03.shot from the Scottish man. He was not too far away from getting it

:22:04. > :22:04.absolutely plumb. The Jack just wiggling its way through handy

:22:05. > :22:22.enough. The wider line, an extra couple of

:22:23. > :22:30.feet, it will bend a lot. He has missed a chance. Missed a chance to

:22:31. > :22:36.absolutely nailed it! He was dropping his lady slightly, trying

:22:37. > :22:53.to urge it on, an indication it was short. -- his leg.

:22:54. > :23:01.Better line. Just needs to sneak up a little bit more. Trying to push

:23:02. > :23:11.it. Just made it. A little bit of space to draw in and

:23:12. > :23:21.he took every inch. It has been the tale of the singles

:23:22. > :23:57.so far. Jack length... 29 metres. It looks

:23:58. > :23:58.as if it will be a battle of the Jack lengths, David going short,

:23:59. > :24:37.Darren going long. When you let one go like that, you

:24:38. > :24:38.know you are short. You just have to watch it to find out how short it

:24:39. > :25:23.is. The front ball... Here is the short.

:25:24. > :25:50.-- the shot. Plenty of room for both players to

:25:51. > :26:06.get in. This is the one you want to do it

:26:07. > :26:13.with, the third delivery, that looks quite narrowed to me. You cannot go

:26:14. > :26:19.searching for taglines. It does not happen. The big swinging rink,

:26:20. > :26:27.especially at Blackpool, those taglines do not work. That was a

:26:28. > :26:41.missed chance. A little kick of the bowl and a grimace.

:26:42. > :27:20.The two short green bowls do not leave him many options. The target

:27:21. > :27:26.is the bottom red. Probably the guts of three and a half feet in that two

:27:27. > :27:31.draw the shot around the Jack. David would normally do that in his sleep.

:27:32. > :27:46.Always a little bit different when you are out there. He can afford to

:27:47. > :27:52.miss the front by two feet and still draw. A better line. He knows that

:27:53. > :27:58.line is good and it is all about getting back to the red bowl if he

:27:59. > :28:01.needs it. Just scraped away. He dropped back and that might say

:28:02. > :28:23.something. Perhaps just the one. Close enough. He will certainly take

:28:24. > :28:29.the shot. Well... He is having another look. When the ball came

:28:30. > :28:34.out, he has a good eye in his head, he is good at measures. He will not

:28:35. > :28:44.measure it unless he really feels he has got a chance. At this level,

:28:45. > :28:47.that is normally the case. Some players at different levels and

:28:48. > :28:55.clubs would try and measure because they cannot really tell. I would

:28:56. > :28:59.rather someone measured than stood around for ages, looking at it. If

:29:00. > :29:05.you are going to do it, do it quickly. That was useful by David

:29:06. > :30:18.Holt, second shot, last delivery. That backhand seems quite

:30:19. > :30:26.accommodating. The matter comes out, we go shorter on that. The forehand

:30:27. > :30:30.appears to be better. The backhand just hanging off a little bit until

:30:31. > :30:59.the way to comes back down, here it comes.

:31:00. > :31:14.Quite a nice time for people in Australia watching this. I'm sure

:31:15. > :31:18.there are quite a few tune in. To our Australian viewers, we just

:31:19. > :31:25.won't mention the rugby. I wasn't going to go there. Still rankles.

:31:26. > :31:33.Quite a number in New Zealand watching, as well. Once you overplay

:31:34. > :31:39.that on the backhand, you have to be quite convincing about it. Having

:31:40. > :31:43.played in one game, defeating John Price, very much in this set.

:31:44. > :32:04.Getting more and more comfortable. A change of hand. Going to the

:32:05. > :32:09.forehand. He used his own ball on the way into touch, if he misses

:32:10. > :32:10.that he will be very close. And he has. APPLAUSE

:32:11. > :32:21.A super shot, really is. Beautifully done. In all the way.

:32:22. > :32:42.Perfection. It will be interesting to see if

:32:43. > :32:50.David is more positive with this one. He is. We'll go away quickly.

:32:51. > :32:56.Bowl on the bowl would be useful. Has he got a result? No. Two down.

:32:57. > :33:04.The first time he has played a weighted ball. There were two

:33:05. > :33:08.against him, there remains two against him. No damage done but

:33:09. > :33:12.there was a decent strike. Yes, he was just inside what he was really

:33:13. > :33:16.looking for. Because he was coming into that front bowl, it didn't look

:33:17. > :33:21.like it would split open well for him. Turned out to be the case.

:33:22. > :33:31.Needed to be a bowl wider. First double of the game goes the

:33:32. > :34:57.way of Darren Burnett. A new line required. The weight is

:34:58. > :34:58.good. At this longer jack length, you can't afford to go inside the

:34:59. > :35:31.line on the backhand. covers the green ball just below

:35:32. > :35:54.Jack high. Has come across very quickly. Did not have the weight.

:35:55. > :36:06.This will have to have perfect Waite to get back.

:36:07. > :36:12.Building up a position. The difficulty is whilst he builds up

:36:13. > :36:21.that position, Darren has the opportunity to add another shot. One

:36:22. > :36:28.or two here from Darren Burnett and David Holt will be in trouble.

:36:29. > :36:38.He wants to rest. Preferably draw the shot as well. That stops the

:36:39. > :36:45.jack going through. Holt is in all sorts of trouble. He will try to win

:36:46. > :36:52.off the side football and get the other ball. If you can get the edge

:36:53. > :37:00.off the red ball, it is the one he is after. That will spring to balls

:37:01. > :37:06.out of the head. He can probably see it passes own front one. He has cold

:37:07. > :37:11.free time out so he can take his time. Doesn't look good from the

:37:12. > :37:17.mat. Horrible shock to have to play but he has no choice. He has to hope

:37:18. > :37:22.it doesn't take his own bowl out. That is what he is going for, trying

:37:23. > :37:27.to get the edge of the red one. Needs to get past the first one. He

:37:28. > :37:31.has a real chance here. Well played, David Holt. The bowl would have gone

:37:32. > :37:47.fine but I think he has benefited. Great shot. No guarantee the red

:37:48. > :37:48.bowl was going to miss the green one. Just missed it on the high

:37:49. > :38:08.side. Dear, oh dear, I was writing it in

:38:09. > :38:15.then he sneaked over and looked at my notes. I do like to be helpful.

:38:16. > :38:40.Honestly! It makes the short list of two at the moment.

:38:41. > :39:00.What a great shot it was from David Holt. He has got a boost from that.

:39:01. > :39:12.He certainly enjoyed it, keeps him in the set, gave him a real chance.

:39:13. > :39:21.That shot was really to save the first set. Brilliant bowl. Add to

:39:22. > :39:58.control it and he did. Now it is back to his favourite short Jack.

:39:59. > :40:08.18 inches past jack hi. To save to say David Holt has lost his English

:40:09. > :40:12.accent. I noticed that, it varies, there is an English Aussie twang to

:40:13. > :40:24.it. Which is understandable. He has been there a long time. I do think

:40:25. > :40:26.Darren will mess about with this. Too big a target. He will be calling

:40:27. > :40:40.a time-out. It has drawn pretty well off the

:40:41. > :40:47.forehand. He is putting his foot down. Really what he wants to do is

:40:48. > :40:51.have a look at the Angles. He does that, absolutely right, it will

:40:52. > :40:59.disappear there. That is the only way of looking at it. The front bowl

:41:00. > :41:08.has the angle to come off of the jack.

:41:09. > :41:17.He has hit three or four that he was going for. Just got it too solid.

:41:18. > :41:19.Damage limitation, takes one away. He has got the last bowl and that

:41:20. > :41:35.will be very useful now. That position pretty much held by

:41:36. > :41:36.Darren but Dave needs another bowl in. Hasn't got the luxury of going

:41:37. > :41:53.deep with this one. Trying to encourage it back into the

:41:54. > :42:02.head. And he has. He played it well. That is really good. It has finished

:42:03. > :42:08.off jack hi. Not ideal. He is smiling. He knows he has made the

:42:09. > :42:23.target bigger but he had to get one in. Stand-by for the Bernadette

:42:24. > :42:27.Express. -- for the Burnett express. It has power. It will go on the

:42:28. > :42:41.re-spot. It will be one to read. Good turnover. 2-1. 1-shot, Darren

:42:42. > :42:46.Burnett. He has a good success rate from the heavy bowl today. I just

:42:47. > :42:48.thought the angle of that bowl would bring it through. David Holt would

:42:49. > :43:17.not have been surprised. Jack length, 29 and a half metres.

:43:18. > :44:08.Final end of the opening set. Darren Burnett leading by one.

:44:09. > :44:22.At worst, he doesn't want to lose the set. Has to go for a really good

:44:23. > :44:25.second. If not the shot, try and get something out of the set when the

:44:26. > :44:29.opposition puts the first bowl down like that. Holt will be trying to

:44:30. > :44:58.sneak around the front one. Now, as he remembered the weight?

:44:59. > :45:04.No. Well, no damage done. Wasn't far away. It needed another foot or so.

:45:05. > :46:45.Darren will just be trying to put a foot on.

:46:46. > :46:48.Darren will just be trying to put a weigh up the situation. I tell you

:46:49. > :46:53.what, he is in bother with this, he really is. If he goes attacking, you

:46:54. > :47:01.can see the red bowl going out of the head. Has to be very careful

:47:02. > :47:05.there. Is his own red bowl on the draw on the other side? It is, but

:47:06. > :47:10.there is a very good shot available for him into the split. It forces

:47:11. > :47:32.the red bowl out. He has gone to the open hand for the

:47:33. > :47:39.draw. It is his own red one that will concern him. Can he find a way

:47:40. > :47:44.past it? He has come inside. How is that for a shot? A brilliant bowl.

:47:45. > :47:48.Didn't fancy the risk on the forehand in case he got the green

:47:49. > :47:54.bowl onto the jack. He played the safe option but the more difficult

:47:55. > :48:05.option in many ways. You have got to have so much faith in yourself as a

:48:06. > :48:15.player. And he did. Just taps the leg. A professional response to a

:48:16. > :48:17.brilliant bowl. Time-out called. Now he is back to trying to lift one of

:48:18. > :48:37.his two green bowls onto the jack. What can he mix up? I think he is

:48:38. > :48:43.slightly under it. Oh my goodness me! Has he fluked it? I think you

:48:44. > :48:49.might have. He has indeed, it is a tired set. Well, he would have

:48:50. > :48:52.looked at that plant but I'm certain he would have thought that the angle

:48:53. > :49:05.wasn't quite right. I did see the plant. Finn edge and in. He was in

:49:06. > :49:13.the area. He knew it was possible. What a great set of bowls.

:49:14. > :49:20.The only thing we know for certain is we are not going to a tie-break.

:49:21. > :49:27.Winner takes all, second set. Unless it is tied of course, but that is

:49:28. > :49:31.rare. Is rare. It can happen. People looking at this match and saying who

:49:32. > :49:34.deserved to win that set? To be honest with you, both players

:49:35. > :49:39.probably deserved to get something out of it. It was a brilliant last

:49:40. > :49:54.bowl by Darren Burnett. These two players battling for a

:49:55. > :49:57.place in the quarterfinal. The way they are playing at the moment, they

:49:58. > :49:59.are battling to beat David Corkhill's shot of the day as well.

:50:00. > :50:15.Plenty of food for thought. My front runner for that already.

:50:16. > :50:25.There are still two good matches to come. Stay with us here this

:50:26. > :50:31.afternoon. Alex Marshall MBE, and Greg Harlow next up. As Darryl

:50:32. > :50:38.Burnett opens the second set in fine form. The next match is a bit tasty,

:50:39. > :51:02.isn't it? It should be an absolute cracker. I will enjoy that.

:51:03. > :51:28.Darren just trying to come around the green bowl. Strong bias bowls he

:51:29. > :51:38.is using as well. Both of them are. Draw for second or drive it out?

:51:39. > :51:43.That is the choice for David Holt. Looks a better line, looks like he

:51:44. > :51:50.is coming in on the wild side this time. He needs to have the pace to

:51:51. > :52:01.keep it going, though. The centre rink. Picked a line out. Darren

:52:02. > :52:14.Burnett can follow his last. Muddy the water.

:52:15. > :52:41.Well, I suppose, you say it is a missed opportunity, it stops a

:52:42. > :52:45.weighted drive shot come around the front one onto the jack. It was and

:52:46. > :52:52.what he was playing. He was trained to get right up to the jack, and

:52:53. > :53:00.cover it. He did it slightly differently to try to arrive into

:53:01. > :53:05.the head. He is out on that wider line as well. This is all about good

:53:06. > :53:16.weight. Good weight, this will pull back all the way to the centre line.

:53:17. > :53:22.Looks pretty good. The second jack did move. That is a good save from

:53:23. > :53:29.David Holt. Plenty of players watching on from the balcony, one of

:53:30. > :53:35.us joining us is the rid Anderson. Thank you very much, Paul. Stuart

:53:36. > :53:37.Loving this match but they really interesting first set for your

:53:38. > :53:42.team-mate, Darren Burnett. You would have thought he could have got it

:53:43. > :53:50.but he would be disappointed. To be fair to David, he hit his target, to

:53:51. > :53:56.go 5-5 with two to go. Darren played a phenomenal bowl. David dug in, hit

:53:57. > :54:05.his target and got a great result at the end. He will feel a bit hard on

:54:06. > :54:08.by. David living in Australia now. A very well-known English player. He

:54:09. > :54:12.has had a long and illustrious career, he has been around a long

:54:13. > :54:21.time has the game to do that amateur. He is known to be one of

:54:22. > :54:31.the best on the Australian indoor circuit and he has won a few things

:54:32. > :54:37.out there. How are you playing at the weekend? Nikki has one of the

:54:38. > :54:46.last two years. There will be tough to beat. Playing like an overseas

:54:47. > :54:50.player. Hard to judge a game like that. Yes, I'm ready, I am here for

:54:51. > :54:58.some practice later on and see how the Maragos. We wish you all the

:54:59. > :55:07.best. Stuart Anderson taking care of Alex. A winner in Hong Kong. Wasn't

:55:08. > :55:22.put under any pressure. These practice sessions that the players

:55:23. > :55:27.have are important. Once again, David just a half bowl inside where

:55:28. > :55:28.he wants to be. He has to have a bit more faith and pushed them out

:55:29. > :55:50.wider. A big Bend on them. Daryn Colledge stressed. David knows

:55:51. > :55:58.you need to find centre rink otherwise players will just rest you

:55:59. > :55:59.off. Straight bowls are very prevalent down on the southern

:56:00. > :56:09.hemisphere, not as popular up here. You really have to green them wide.

:56:10. > :57:00.Just pulling inside the line. This has got to be tempting. For

:57:01. > :57:05.David Holt, punch into the red bowl, he has three seconds, take a

:57:06. > :57:09.chance. Might take one of his own out, possibly even two, but he will

:57:10. > :57:12.be very unlikely to take all three away. Alternative, draw the track

:57:13. > :57:19.through on the forehand. Looking at it on the forehand. Interesting he

:57:20. > :57:25.is playing that shot. Fortified have a percentage -- a go at the

:57:26. > :57:32.percentage one. Had it been outdoors in Australia I think he would have.

:57:33. > :57:36.I think that is a heart -- hard shot to play on the portable. In three

:57:37. > :57:44.seconds, drive it out and take your chances.

:57:45. > :57:52.Single bowl target. Just looked and easier shot to me, that is all. He

:57:53. > :58:06.had drawn three times and coincide feline. Tee shot did not appeal.

:58:07. > :58:18.Just one down, fairly conservatively.

:58:19. > :58:27.So Darren Burnett, who had such a great 2014, winning the world indoor

:58:28. > :58:37.title and then the outdoor Commonwealth Games singles title. He

:58:38. > :58:43.would like to add to Scottish International open once more to his

:58:44. > :58:48.resume. He won it back in 2001. I remember it well. It was at

:58:49. > :59:07.Kelvingrove. That event. He nearly defended his title too the

:59:08. > :59:36.following year. Got to the final. This is the adjustment bowl coming

:59:37. > :00:09.in. Gives him something to work off. Tempting, this one. To rest into

:00:10. > :00:25.them. This will pull away very quickly. I

:00:26. > :00:28.was watching way was standing on the mat. He was at the front inside

:00:29. > :00:42.edge. The thing about playing in the front

:00:43. > :00:45.inside edge is if you are playing what we call inside out, playing

:00:46. > :00:51.into the line and hoping to comeback of it again, if you are playing the

:00:52. > :00:55.outside of the mat, you are playing the high line and coming back in

:00:56. > :00:58.again, usually the safer way to play that forehand because there is a

:00:59. > :01:06.tendency to hold off or cut across very quickly. Something you find out

:01:07. > :01:15.about in practice, I suppose. See how your bowls react. Close again.

:01:16. > :01:22.David has got a good bowl Inler. Darren is peppering the jack. Might

:01:23. > :01:32.go harder this time. Given the way that this game is

:01:33. > :01:35.going, Darren could find himself five shots up. It is a long road

:01:36. > :01:49.back. Looks better. Unlucky, just got the

:01:50. > :01:53.edge and did not get back down again in time. Darren's consistency is

:01:54. > :02:05.starting to come through. Calling for this to get back down

:02:06. > :02:11.again and goodness me, he very nearly took his own bowl out and

:02:12. > :02:20.would have given an extra shot. He is all action, he is all movement,

:02:21. > :02:27.and always has been. He has cut it down by one shot. That is the

:02:28. > :02:47.consolation. Jack length 29 and a half metres.

:02:48. > :02:58.He is one of the few players, the top-class cramp players that has

:02:59. > :03:00.come onto the flat and one titles, the most successful. Noel Burrowes

:03:01. > :03:21.transferred across to the flat. Have you tried your hand at that? I

:03:22. > :03:25.played in a professional tournament before and it is a hard game, I have

:03:26. > :03:38.a lot of respect for the crown green boys. It is so difficult.

:03:39. > :03:48.Darren is coming into his own, getting the consistency going. I

:03:49. > :03:56.played on the famous Waterloo green recently, the jack Mark is 65 yards

:03:57. > :03:58.away, I could barely see it. Andy Kerins was my tutor for that

:03:59. > :04:10.particular game. David is going walkabout and Darren

:04:11. > :04:20.will take over. He has to be very careful now.

:04:21. > :04:30.Looking good again. Finding that lovely line, the long jack length.

:04:31. > :04:38.On the backhand. Favoured by most of the players. He cannot afford to go

:04:39. > :04:46.playing into things. David, you need a very good bowl here to draw your

:04:47. > :04:53.way out of trouble. Interesting. Trying to come across and inside his

:04:54. > :04:56.own bowl. Almost always going to force him slightly tight and that is

:04:57. > :05:05.what has happened. Framed the target.

:05:06. > :05:19.Darren Burnett. Three great bowls so far. He has got a choice. Keep his

:05:20. > :05:24.hand, he could change it, play it in from the other side. Either side is

:05:25. > :05:34.good, he will not be too concerned. A nice position. Either side of the

:05:35. > :05:41.green bowl... Just needs to miss it and he is good. Yes.

:05:42. > :05:45.APPLAUSE He was going to make another one.

:05:46. > :05:53.David is in trouble. Darren coming onto his game towards the end of the

:05:54. > :05:59.second set. Now he is really putting the pressure on.

:06:00. > :06:09.Time out call. This is virtually a shot to save the set even though we

:06:10. > :06:21.are not halfway through. Eight - zero would be very difficult to get

:06:22. > :06:30.back from. The opening set, he needs a result. Once to catch the front

:06:31. > :06:43.red one to clear. He is going to go onto it and lose at least two of

:06:44. > :06:57.them on the re-spot. I just wonder about that front green. You can just

:06:58. > :07:01.see it. It could be 50-50. David trying to bring the jack out and he

:07:02. > :07:07.has saved a considerable amount. But I actually thought that the two red

:07:08. > :07:17.bowls were in. This would be a massive result. Well... He was

:07:18. > :07:22.buying on target but goodness me... That is a massive result. He thought

:07:23. > :07:28.he was losing two of them. APPLAUSE

:07:29. > :07:36.One shot to David Holt. Looking at 8-0 down, looking to go to

:07:37. > :07:43.Manchester for the holiday part of your journey and instead... The

:07:44. > :07:52.lifeline is there. Well... I think that is more than a lifeline! It is

:07:53. > :07:59.like seeing the RNLI right beside you when you need them most! He

:08:00. > :08:07.missed the jack on the short jack. It has gone too short and that is a

:08:08. > :08:21.mistake. He will bring it as far down as he can.

:08:22. > :08:26.Both players have been playing runners that were on target or very

:08:27. > :08:32.close to 40 were looking for. Got good results. That one took the

:08:33. > :08:49.biscuit, I have to say, a massive result.

:08:50. > :08:54.That was pretty good. Slightly surprised, Darren took a little bit

:08:55. > :09:09.longer. The jack is maybe just a little bit

:09:10. > :09:39.short. Still... Should be interesting, this one.

:09:40. > :09:50.He missed a chance, that was the one to turn the jack around the corner.

:09:51. > :09:57.Plays a very traditional game. You can see him shaking his head, he

:09:58. > :09:59.knows himself, that is exactly what he would be looking for. Another

:10:00. > :11:46.bite at it. He has got a chance with this one, a

:11:47. > :11:54.big chance and he wants to get right up to the jack. A little touch on it

:11:55. > :12:07.and yes, that should make a three. Three green. Much, much better. That

:12:08. > :12:15.little touch was a major bonus. Not much here for Darren Burnett. He has

:12:16. > :12:19.got to draw on the forehand for the third shot. A running bowl if he

:12:20. > :12:29.wants to play right through it and get a good shot. He has been quite

:12:30. > :12:38.accurate so far, he wins it. It is Darren's turned to be a good result

:12:39. > :12:39.or maybe not... Measure for the second. Thought he was getting

:12:40. > :13:01.better than that. He pushed it right in. He was happy

:13:02. > :13:07.bowl from getting it absolutely perfect. Touching? Not the best

:13:08. > :13:15.result in the end, he thought it was better than that.

:13:16. > :13:28.Very quickly down on that. Just checking that... And one green, it

:13:29. > :13:39.is. One shot, David Holt. APPLAUSE

:13:40. > :13:47.Five bowls ago for David Holt he was facing what we thought was an

:13:48. > :13:52.impossible situation. Suddenly, he is only two shots behind. It is a

:13:53. > :13:59.funny old game! Go at it with the jack length this

:14:00. > :14:17.time. All the way from the hand, it was

:14:18. > :15:04.short. He has made the correction but it is

:15:05. > :15:34.still a distance away. APPLAUSE

:15:35. > :15:43.This might force Steve told onto the backhand, let's see if he stays with

:15:44. > :15:50.it or not. He is changing. -- David Holt. It looks narrow. Even at the

:15:51. > :15:59.short jack length you still have two who the bowl, especially with the

:16:00. > :16:05.swinging bowl he is using. A shake of the head, he knew it, the second

:16:06. > :16:10.left his hand. You cannot go hunting down that short jack length and

:16:11. > :16:31.think, I will go narrow work, this will not happen here.

:16:32. > :16:38.Finding a good lie again. Putting the pressure on David with almost

:16:39. > :16:56.every last bowl. He has to have faith. He is going

:16:57. > :17:00.for the runner. It is a narrow line, with extra weight to try and make

:17:01. > :17:11.sure. He is in the area. Yes! Played it well. That was really good.

:17:12. > :17:20.Beautifully judged. He did not overplay that weight. With the back

:17:21. > :17:28.position against him, he did not fancy the draw. He looks so tranquil

:17:29. > :17:37.when he lets that goal, absolutely no animation. A little twitch,

:17:38. > :17:42.everything else that is going on. Darren lines up his little

:17:43. > :17:48.controlled runner. He looks in the area as well. For the back

:17:49. > :17:58.position... That is well played. APPLAUSE

:17:59. > :18:04.Got the single, played it well. Some really good bowls and these are hard

:18:05. > :18:11.shots to play. Some great bowling here this afternoon. David Holt

:18:12. > :18:19.saving the problem and Darren Burnett responding. Not easy to

:18:20. > :18:25.play, either of them. Difficult. But the accuracy of both men... That was

:18:26. > :18:38.the key to it. And the waiter that Darren and David used... -- the

:18:39. > :18:40.wait. 28 and a half metres. Good stuff, I am really enjoying this

:18:41. > :18:57.match. Three ends to play and I promised

:18:58. > :19:05.you know tiebreak. And it is certainly rare in television bowls.

:19:06. > :19:19.This year we have had to tide set in 35 sets played. The players are

:19:20. > :19:24.going to win the set, they are not even prepared to share it.

:19:25. > :19:28.Disturbance needed, good effort. Just inside the lie. It is touching,

:19:29. > :19:45.yes. Lovely to see these guys having to

:19:46. > :19:49.push out the bowls wide. Particularly when they are running

:19:50. > :19:55.with two and a half or three feet of line.

:19:56. > :20:02.APPLAUSE Wonderful accuracy from Darren

:20:03. > :20:12.Burnett. Definitely stepped up a gear in this second set.

:20:13. > :20:24.David Holt... Coming in off... He does not get it. That is unlucky.

:20:25. > :20:28.The red bowl out, second shot, on the age of the green and he was

:20:29. > :20:42.close to everything. It looked good. That is the reaction. When you are

:20:43. > :20:47.behind and you are looking for that sort of shot... That is what

:20:48. > :20:54.happens. Darren will come out to come behind and cover at the restart

:20:55. > :20:57.as well. Anything deep is good. David is forced into playing it

:20:58. > :21:04.again simply because he cannot afford to lose two shots here and be

:21:05. > :21:06.five behind with two ends to go and set that he must draw at the very

:21:07. > :21:27.least. Going again... At the risk of

:21:28. > :21:33.running out his own bowl. For a second time... He made the gap.

:21:34. > :21:41.Playing it with beautiful weight, really.

:21:42. > :21:56.Well... That is just unlucky. It is hard to do that from two or three

:21:57. > :22:03.yards away. The problem is... Darren will just come again. Round the back

:22:04. > :22:08.and said look, you want a third chance? Well, off you go. I think he

:22:09. > :22:16.cannot afford to play it now, I really don't, I think you must try

:22:17. > :22:20.and trot it off his own bowl. If he hits that now he will be more than

:22:21. > :22:30.two shots down. He is trying to draw the shot.

:22:31. > :22:39.Well... He is using less weight this time. If that gets onto the front

:22:40. > :22:46.bowl he is in a heap of trouble. In it goes. Just as well that did not

:22:47. > :22:54.headed. He would have team for shots down. -- hit it.

:22:55. > :23:06.So unlucky with three and number for. It has been a steady second set

:23:07. > :23:11.for Darren. He is the one putting pressure on David. Definitely, we

:23:12. > :23:17.saw signs of it at the tail end in particular. The first set. Darren

:23:18. > :23:25.just starting to find his way. The second set... Continuing that,

:23:26. > :23:44.moving up the gears. David has played some good bowls but Darren

:23:45. > :23:45.has been in control. Darren is looking to get to another

:23:46. > :24:13.quarter-final. David represented Australia, the

:24:14. > :24:19.2014 world Champion of champions. Eventually lost to Ian Maclean. And

:24:20. > :24:23.he has been prolific. In any other country he would be right up there

:24:24. > :24:31.representing them at all levels. He just happens to be Scottish! They

:24:32. > :24:40.are so strong in the men's game, really. He has been very unlucky.

:24:41. > :24:43.APPLAUSE Down the left, doing the right

:24:44. > :24:51.thing, keeping them in nice and close, keeping the pressure on.

:24:52. > :24:55.Just trying to close out this match, if he can, with a nice, clean

:24:56. > :25:09.double. He is giving this a go. In it comes.

:25:10. > :25:15.Well... When you are on the wrong end of 7-2, you start to find those

:25:16. > :25:21.and he was just a little bit inside the line. On another day, you hit

:25:22. > :25:28.the edge of the bowl and dropping in front of the jack.

:25:29. > :25:35.It may prove not to be a wasted shot. Darren is trying to close down

:25:36. > :25:57.all possibilities here. A little shallow. It has been a

:25:58. > :26:02.while since he played one like that. David looking for the same bowl,

:26:03. > :26:18.turn the jack for a double, to give himself any chance.

:26:19. > :26:23.It is all about the wait here, the line is good. Just over it. He is

:26:24. > :26:57.just over the wait. He does not like that. He turned his

:26:58. > :27:03.back. The line was good enough. Yes, he popped it down on the right line

:27:04. > :27:06.but he knew he had not pushed through it and there is a chance

:27:07. > :27:12.here for David, if he can get the edge of the jack and run onto the

:27:13. > :27:21.red bowl. He could touch it over for three. It is tough, it really is. He

:27:22. > :27:32.wants to try and force the final to be played. Up he comes. David Holt.

:27:33. > :27:43.It has gone away. And that will be it for his trip. A great first set.

:27:44. > :27:48.You could argue, the Commonwealth Games gold medal winner of 2014

:27:49. > :27:57.played better. Got himself away. In the end, Darren Burnett defeating

:27:58. > :28:00.David Holt, 9-2 after a tide first set. Darren is into the

:28:01. > :28:14.quarter-final of the Scottish International open.

:28:15. > :29:35.It was a match of two haves. No doubt, the first set had everything.

:29:36. > :29:41.Both playing well. Darren fighting very well in the second set. Really

:29:42. > :29:47.fishing through. It was really all to do with the second set. The total

:29:48. > :29:52.shots score of 15 against eight. Aaron was exceptional in the second

:29:53. > :30:01.set and showed why he was the world champion last year. -- Darren.

:30:02. > :30:05.A very fine second set indeed. He is through to the quarter-final and for

:30:06. > :30:10.the great match. A great game, but the second set, you played some

:30:11. > :30:16.wonderful bowls. Flashes throughout the game of what I can do. A little

:30:17. > :30:21.bit inconsistent at Tyne but David is a great player. A draw was a fair

:30:22. > :30:28.result but I dug deep. I thought I came on better in the second set.

:30:29. > :30:32.David, a tight game, especially in the first set but in the second, the

:30:33. > :30:38.current Commonwealth singles champion, he showed his class. It is

:30:39. > :30:45.what I expected, these guys are red hot. I was pretty happy... I fought

:30:46. > :30:49.hard, I had quite a huge shots but I don't think he missed a single

:30:50. > :30:54.running shop. All I can do is cross my fingers, it was not to be.

:30:55. > :30:59.Fantastic, but let's talk about the first set. Darren, you put in your

:31:00. > :31:10.last bowl and you must have thought you were getting this.

:31:11. > :31:17.It was all I had on. David had blocked the forehand. Just made it

:31:18. > :31:22.perfect. There was a better one to come. There certainly was. You are

:31:23. > :31:26.standing there watching, knew you had been putting all the pressure

:31:27. > :31:29.on. Had a big bowl play and my goodness you didn't half play one. I

:31:30. > :31:38.wasn't overly happy when Darren drew the shot. I could have got my own

:31:39. > :31:42.onto the jack and almost made two. But I knew that if I got that there

:31:43. > :31:45.was a chance but I had to come away with a chance -- be lucky to come

:31:46. > :31:51.away with a chance to stop I was a bit lucky to get a tie but it didn't

:31:52. > :31:55.help me a great deal! We knew at that point there would be no

:31:56. > :32:05.tie-break. We knew it would be one in the second set. You are used to

:32:06. > :32:10.playing over there in Australia. Do you think that gave you the

:32:11. > :32:19.advantage in the second set? It is difficult to know. Thought I had

:32:20. > :32:22.done enough to edge over the line. It takes away the tie-break. Unless

:32:23. > :32:34.you have a second tie-break which is very unusual. Pieters talk about the

:32:35. > :32:40.last bowl, end six in the second set. No way back from David from

:32:41. > :32:51.that point of view. When I got into a lead I wanted to try and keep

:32:52. > :32:57.that. I just got the contact right. Hard to get you watching that. Leigh

:32:58. > :33:00.I was pleased I got the shot but I was resigned inside to think he has

:33:01. > :33:05.not missed one yet keep a we won't miss this one. He was far more

:33:06. > :33:10.consistent than I was. That is what wins you the games. You said you

:33:11. > :33:14.were here for a holiday as well. Are you going to go and see the family

:33:15. > :33:18.in Manchester as well? Not a bad way to start your holiday, I would

:33:19. > :33:22.reckon? I am on a flight to Paris tomorrow. If I had one that would

:33:23. > :33:28.have spoiled it a little bit but I was told trying very hard of course!

:33:29. > :33:35.I have really enjoyed myself. Fantastic experience. Keen to get

:33:36. > :33:41.back. You did not spoil his holiday plans. . Absolutely not. David,

:33:42. > :33:53.enjoy Paris, we have enjoyed having you here in Perth. You are through

:33:54. > :33:58.to the quarterfinals. Well done. Darren Burnett, well champion in

:33:59. > :34:01.2014 of course was next up, a guy who has won the World Championships

:34:02. > :34:07.quite a few times. Big Alan Marshall. Quite simply the best --

:34:08. > :34:08.Alex Marshall. He has a habit of breaking records, not even

:34:09. > :34:17.Alex Marshall. He has a habit of friend Paul Foster comes close to

:34:18. > :34:20.Alex Marshall. He has a habit of a dominant force but a win in Perth

:34:21. > :34:28.remains out of his grasp. He is currently in the form of his life

:34:29. > :34:37.however. The 2015 world indoor singles champion, Alex Marshall MBE!

:34:38. > :34:40.18 months has been fantastic. Six time world champion, double

:34:41. > :34:49.Commonwealth Games, Gold Medal. You cannot beat that. Being in your own

:34:50. > :34:53.back yard in front of your home support. It has been a fantastic 18

:34:54. > :35:01.months. I am still hungry, still looking for success. I have high

:35:02. > :36:36.expectations now. looking for success. I have high

:36:37. > :36:44.year. Will there be joy here in Perth this year? A player that wants

:36:45. > :36:50.him to lose is a very fine player indeed: Greg Harlow. He loves the

:36:51. > :36:53.title here. Then came a run of International open titles and in

:36:54. > :36:59.2010 he stood on top of the world. This year in Perth, Greg knocked

:37:00. > :37:07.Carol Pottle out in the first run this tournament.

:37:08. > :37:14.I thought she played very well. Certainly in the second set, she

:37:15. > :37:19.calls me a huge challenges. You want to get that first win and get the

:37:20. > :37:22.ten points on the board. I then think you tend to relax a little bit

:37:23. > :37:26.into the second round and you are almost guaranteed a tough game so

:37:27. > :37:31.you just relax and enjoy the second round. I have played him a few

:37:32. > :37:35.times. To draw him on the second round, which was always on the

:37:36. > :37:38.cards, looking at the draw, it doesn't get much tougher but I shall

:37:39. > :37:41.be looking forward to it. I am quite happy with my form. I played a

:37:42. > :37:46.couple of pre-season tournaments that have gone well for me. The

:37:47. > :37:49.first round went well. Today will be the true test obviously against the

:37:50. > :37:55.best opposition to where I am at this stage in the season. Ladies and

:37:56. > :37:59.gentlemen, please give a very warm welcome to our next to bowlers here

:38:00. > :38:24.-- two bowlers, Greg Harlow! And facing Greg this afternoon, six

:38:25. > :38:31.time winner and current world indoor singles champion, Alex Marshall!

:38:32. > :38:52.APPLAUSE COMMENTATOR: This should be a very

:38:53. > :38:53.fine match indeed between two great players and two great Powles as

:38:54. > :39:03.well. A few days after the 5th of November

:39:04. > :39:06.but expect fireworks between these two former world champions. Current

:39:07. > :39:09.world champion out there. Either of those players could go and win this

:39:10. > :39:13.tournament. It could be one of the hardest games they will have.

:39:14. > :39:18.Absolutely, for a second round match, we went, can they get

:39:19. > :39:23.through? It is one of those games that everyone wants to see. So tidy.

:39:24. > :39:30.Again, Alex has got this grittiness about him. He wants to win this so

:39:31. > :39:38.much, you really does. We shall see how things pan out. Two top-class

:39:39. > :39:40.players. Very little between them, as Greg Harlow opens up with a loose

:39:41. > :40:15.ball. No one ever really wants to say too

:40:16. > :40:17.much when you are being interviewed at the start of a match. These two

:40:18. > :40:29.guys know each other so well. As Alex said in his interview, it is

:40:30. > :40:32.all down to who plays well on the day because there is just nothing

:40:33. > :40:38.between them. Irrespective of the ranking situation. Their places were

:40:39. > :40:52.reversed not so long ago. I think there is something special

:40:53. > :41:02.about winning something in your home country. In Alex Case, just up the

:41:03. > :41:12.road. Your bowl is 14 inches short of jack high. -- in Alex's case.

:41:13. > :41:20.Greg has always been known as an attacking player. He has pulled back

:41:21. > :41:24.over the years on that particular shot play and it has worked out very

:41:25. > :41:39.well, concentrating on his drawing, which has been exceptional.

:41:40. > :41:50.The gap on Greg's bowl is five inches. The voice of Alex Thornhill,

:41:51. > :41:52.our marker. A very experienced marker, Alex Thornhill. Commonwealth

:41:53. > :42:14.Games and World Championships level. Monsters round the back if you can

:42:15. > :42:35.fall back. Just a little bit through.

:42:36. > :42:41.Got a little bit of extra weight on this to try to bounce the jack

:42:42. > :42:52.forward if he can against the bowl. Oh, he nearly made it, very nearly

:42:53. > :42:54.made it. Just looking to crunch the jack against the ball and bounce it

:42:55. > :43:32.forward, if at all possible. Not exactly a special opportunity.

:43:33. > :43:44.Had to be careful. -- a spare shot opportunity. There are not many

:43:45. > :43:53.tournaments Alex Marshall has played in 15 times and never won. This is

:43:54. > :44:00.his 15th appearance here. The Scottish international open. Runner

:44:01. > :44:04.up in 2005 was his best. That particular final he looked the

:44:05. > :44:07.odds-on favourite. He played the most marvellous game in the

:44:08. > :44:13.semifinal, and prior to that he had been exceptional but moved on to a

:44:14. > :44:17.different level in the semifinal. Ian Bond was due to play him. He

:44:18. > :44:21.said is it really worth my while even turning up? It was that good.

:44:22. > :44:43.But Bond turned up and took the title away.

:44:44. > :44:51.Alex was just discussing his first game with the player from Israel,

:44:52. > :44:57.who played very well in the international open. Coming over from

:44:58. > :45:02.Israel without any real experience at all of the indoor carpet. Guys

:45:03. > :45:08.were telling me he was brilliant in the practice games. He really was.

:45:09. > :45:10.40 was in for a tough one but unfortunately it didn't happen

:45:11. > :45:23.during the real match. That is the way it is. Just turned out to be

:45:24. > :45:28.target practice for Alex Marshall. Shalom is a great sportsman in other

:45:29. > :45:38.areas, as Greg sees an opportunity for another runner. Gets it right.

:45:39. > :45:48.There they go. So good at that shot, controlled weight. The bowl did

:45:49. > :46:18.almost a little pirouette to say look at the shot.

:46:19. > :46:33.Craig just want to come inside that red ball. -- Greg just wants to come

:46:34. > :46:59.inside that red bowl. Missed a chance to add another.

:47:00. > :47:10.Alex has one of the smoothest deliveries in the game. Puts the

:47:11. > :47:22.bowl away sweet as a nut. Look at this. It looked like the hard way

:47:23. > :47:34.in. Never discouraged by the hardware. It looked like a forehand

:47:35. > :47:36.shot. Played the backhand, which he obviously favours, and played a

:47:37. > :47:49.beautiful shot. Has dropped since then. At one

:47:50. > :47:58.stage, it was illegal to carry your bowl up the rink, but as you were

:47:59. > :48:03.mentioning, he is carrying the bowl. That rule was relaxed a lot of years

:48:04. > :48:07.ago. Thank goodness, as well. It is a different story if you put it

:48:08. > :48:16.down. CHUCKLING No, definitely not allowed to do

:48:17. > :48:20.that. Not an easy one for Greg. He has got a back green bowl available

:48:21. > :48:30.to him so if he gets it onto the jack, he is good. He is away

:48:31. > :48:34.cleanly. It is a hard shot. The forehand is so difficult to play

:48:35. > :48:37.with weight. Always on the high side. Can't afford to play it tight.

:48:38. > :50:41.If you do that, you have no chance. Well played again, doesn't want to

:50:42. > :50:44.disturb it too much. Worked out really well. Solid bowl. I thought

:50:45. > :51:08.the jack was going to move. Alex obviously thinks he has made

:51:09. > :51:15.the correction, and he has. You knew that was close as soon as he let it

:51:16. > :51:17.go, he was after it. Good players always know when they have got a

:51:18. > :51:29.good bowl. A little touch will be enough for

:51:30. > :51:51.Greg. Is he under? Very much so. This is a safe shot to be in

:51:52. > :51:57.position to receive sure the head be disturbed. It is difficult for Alex,

:51:58. > :52:04.to be honest with you because he doesn't really want to go near it.

:52:05. > :52:10.Stay away. Alternatively, he has the back position covered, the

:52:11. > :52:17.alternative is to hope it is in the way.

:52:18. > :52:30.I tell you what, he is getting very close to this. That is a really good

:52:31. > :52:48.bowl. Got it a lot closer than what I thought he would.

:52:49. > :53:04.Last bowl of the end. Greg Harlow. Just over it.

:53:05. > :53:16.Had to come inside Alex Marshall's bowl. Racing against it wasn't going

:53:17. > :53:27.to bring anything. Alex Marshall just having the better of things.

:53:28. > :53:34.These two players have met head-to-head in singles since 2006

:53:35. > :53:40.or 2007 just the three times, which is surprising. Alex Marshall has won

:53:41. > :53:55.all three. A lot depends on the way you play.

:53:56. > :54:03.Alex Marshall never seemed to enjoy the Welsh Grand Prix. Never really

:54:04. > :54:12.worked out why. He had moved to Blackpool and he was absolutely

:54:13. > :54:19.fantastic. Has been a good move. He won that at a canter. You definitely

:54:20. > :54:35.don't want to play him down at Potters.

:54:36. > :54:47.I suppose you could say the same about Greg Harlow in Sheffield. A

:54:48. > :54:49.number of titles. The last thing you wanted is to get great in that

:54:50. > :55:20.venue. Good bowl. A full sweep of the world roles for

:55:21. > :55:38.singles titles, Greg Harlow. Looks a little lazy. Must've thought

:55:39. > :57:06.he was a lot closer. So just eight had heavy. Care for

:57:07. > :57:08.Highline draw with this. Don't get too close to the jack. Looking to

:57:09. > :57:38.drop around it. Looks under. Seemed to be a bit of length where

:57:39. > :57:42.both players were struggling to get to it after a couple of good bowls.

:57:43. > :57:48.We will be happy enough to move away from it.

:57:49. > :57:55.This is interesting. Greg going for the short jack length by the look of

:57:56. > :58:02.it. Alex Marshall just distracted for a

:58:03. > :01:32.moment. Greg will be tempted with this.

:01:33. > :01:49.the forehand. It is not easy, though. Two of the five time-outs

:01:50. > :01:54.Greg Harlow had, he has used them. That may be a problem a little bit

:01:55. > :02:09.later. I am not surprised Greg is playing this.

:02:10. > :02:44.He was probably try to come off his own ball. -- bowl.

:02:45. > :03:09.Well, looking on, David Holt in the middle, the Australian. Stewart

:03:10. > :03:16.Anderson as well, watching on. Enjoy the action from the players'

:03:17. > :03:22.balcony. It is a great place to watch, actually. You get a good

:03:23. > :03:26.view. There are monitors up there, of course, so they can see the full

:03:27. > :05:28.action. He is doing well. But he was a bit

:05:29. > :05:32.unlucky there, because he has brought the jack out into the open.

:05:33. > :05:36.Wanted to leave it hidden behind the bowl and forced Greg onto the

:05:37. > :05:46.forehand, where he has a different type of shot available.

:05:47. > :06:17.One out, but more importantly for Greg, he has developed the position.

:06:18. > :06:21.Alex has a choice here to either draw in again, or go for cover with

:06:22. > :06:30.the deep green one. Takes the time-out. It is always difficult

:06:31. > :06:34.whenever you have a choice like this, because you know the bowl can

:06:35. > :06:43.be removed for one or two shots, but you also know that you may lose

:06:44. > :06:49.three. You can't cover both things with one bowl. The alternative is to

:06:50. > :07:05.try and turn the jack yourself, take the shot away from your opponent. He

:07:06. > :07:14.is close. Whoa! It is two read, but that will not do his heart much

:07:15. > :07:48.good. Greg will be after the two of them.

:07:49. > :08:51.Time for Greg to score. He needs a 1 or two here to give himself a chance

:08:52. > :09:25.in the last two ends. Alex Marshall knows he is in control

:09:26. > :09:30.of this set. But he is also aware of the fact that Greg could bang in two

:09:31. > :09:46.or three good ends against him and close that gap.

:09:47. > :10:03.That was a bit unlucky. That was why Alex was interested to play the

:10:04. > :10:13.forehand. He didn't know exactly where that bowl was. He was not

:10:14. > :10:14.asking about the closest bowl. If he needs the shoulder, it is available

:10:15. > :10:47.to. -- to him. Greg has a bit of extra weight to

:10:48. > :10:55.try and get to the red bowl. Very good home. He just needs another one

:10:56. > :11:04.in. If the shot is against him, he might as well play the backhand. He

:11:05. > :11:05.just has to put a little extra weight on from his previous

:11:06. > :11:26.delivery. This is a chance for Greg. The bowl

:11:27. > :12:03.is probably worth three. Time-out. If he can get the jack

:12:04. > :12:10.into that sort of position, you are looking at four shots. If he is able

:12:11. > :12:23.to get the bowl out and rest it off, it is worth at least three. So

:12:24. > :12:35.choices are available. It is all about what sort of weight he wants

:12:36. > :12:43.to use. That sort of weight gives you a chance for both the bowl and

:12:44. > :12:54.the jack. That was the chance he was looking for.

:12:55. > :13:13.Alex is looking at this. He is not sure. If in doubt, get the measure.

:13:14. > :13:19.Absolutely. This is where the umpire and the marker are very worried.

:13:20. > :13:23.Well, it is always a judgment, and the players know that. It is not

:13:24. > :13:28.definitive. But if they get it wrong, when they go back into the

:13:29. > :13:37.players' Lounge, they get some grief. Like to see those calipers

:13:38. > :13:57.out. Very accurate. Alex has walked away. Alan Thornhill

:13:58. > :14:16.got it absolutely right. Reputation intact, yet again. There is a

:14:17. > :14:19.familiar figure in Scottish bowls. Paul McArthur, current president of

:14:20. > :14:26.the Scottish indoor Bowling Association. Also, most games silver

:14:27. > :15:14.medallist. He was the sighted person for Robert Conway in the pairs.

:15:15. > :16:00.That will do. Plenty of space for Alex to get in.

:16:01. > :16:08.Alex is now working for a different manufacturer, and he will now be

:16:09. > :16:20.using their bowls from now on, as opposed to his previous one.

:16:21. > :16:46.Oh, dear. Alex now knows the line to take. A bit of a given, wasn't it?

:16:47. > :16:56.It was a put your mortgage on it type of shot. If he gets it

:16:57. > :17:10.absolutely right, he might just get the two bowls. Well, I think he

:17:11. > :17:30.might have picked up a single. Let's see. In the target area.

:17:31. > :17:40.There is with the chance of the jack bouncing up the green with that

:17:41. > :17:49.shot. A controlled shot across the green. That is not easy. There were

:17:50. > :17:52.almost three choices. There was the jack, the green bowl, or playing to

:17:53. > :18:05.his own short one. But Harlow keeps things alive -- Greg Harlow. But it

:18:06. > :18:15.is just a single, so a full house required to share the set.

:18:16. > :18:21.It is one of these instances where you are just defending if you are

:18:22. > :18:28.Alex Marshall. Don't give your opponent the chance. The same as he

:18:29. > :18:34.has been playing in this match so far. In some ways, Greg will relax

:18:35. > :18:42.because he knows the chances of getting a 4 here are very remote. He

:18:43. > :19:52.will just try and build a head up as best he can.

:19:53. > :19:57.And suddenly, there is a bit of room. You can see it better at that

:19:58. > :20:16.angle. Greg, have you pushed it up? Well, I

:20:17. > :20:25.think that is it now. Two and a half feet short.

:20:26. > :20:33.Alex is just querying the jack length. That is the way these guys

:20:34. > :20:34.operate. If you tell them something is a particular length, they play to

:20:35. > :20:58.it. There you go. Top players will put the bowl down

:20:59. > :21:08.at a 14 second rate. They are finely tuned that way. Not much here for

:21:09. > :21:17.Greg except to hope to stay. A controlled weight shot. It is too

:21:18. > :21:28.tight. It is one shots to Alex Marshall.

:21:29. > :21:33.Well, if you were looking for a word to describe opening set from an Alex

:21:34. > :21:46.Marshall point of view, but would be efficient. Did everything he had to

:21:47. > :21:48.do, and did it well. Yes, no drama. Didn't have to play too many

:21:49. > :22:07.difficult controlled weight shots. The last time these players met in

:22:08. > :22:20.the world semifinal in 2015, seven - six, 7-5. A great game it was.

:22:21. > :22:48.Alex Marshall went on to win the title.

:22:49. > :23:06.Good starter. The last bowl is ten inches. This will be very much about

:23:07. > :23:16.who manages to play well at their opponent's jack length. Greg looks

:23:17. > :23:58.to be going short most of the time. That is perfect.

:23:59. > :24:27.Both these players were easy qualifiers in the end.

:24:28. > :24:33.where the drawers are. Some of them were inexperienced overseas players

:24:34. > :24:38.who do not get the opportunity to play on the indoor rinks as much.

:24:39. > :24:40.And for any overseas players to get these top guys, it is very

:24:41. > :26:25.difficult. get ahead in the opening set. Let's

:26:26. > :26:30.see how the champion is doing and how he is enjoying watching his

:26:31. > :26:34.clubmate. Yes, we were just talking about what Greg would do for that

:26:35. > :26:41.last bowl in his hand, and you were saying he might take the one he'd

:26:42. > :26:44.not bowl, but a wise decision? Yeah, I think he's just looking to grab

:26:45. > :26:52.some of them. Alex has done well so far. So Greg would try and grab the

:26:53. > :26:55.initiative early. It is interesting, because Alex Marshall really looks

:26:56. > :27:00.on it in this match, but in this format, forget the first set, let's

:27:01. > :27:04.get on with the second and it is anyone's game after that. That is

:27:05. > :27:08.true. Greg will be looking to sneak as many ends as he can and take it

:27:09. > :27:13.to the back end of this set. But Alex has drawn fantastic so far, so

:27:14. > :27:18.Greg would just be looking to get a couple of ones and twos early to

:27:19. > :27:26.grab some lament. Greg is a great player. He is, but every time Greg

:27:27. > :27:31.has played a good one, Alex has beaten it. So Greg will be looking

:27:32. > :27:34.to get tighter, earlier, and force Alex into a couple of runs and maybe

:27:35. > :27:39.get them on edge. How do you think this will end up? I knew you would

:27:40. > :27:44.say that! I will say tie-break, but I would not like to say who will

:27:45. > :27:50.win. Thank you for that, you have started sitting on the fence. No

:27:51. > :27:53.worries! COMMENTATOR: There is no better

:27:54. > :28:06.fence in Scotland than the one in Perth. Yes, we built it specially.

:28:07. > :28:11.But they came out with a good point. Usually, when Greg has played a good

:28:12. > :28:15.bowl, Alex has responded almost automatically. That can wear on you

:28:16. > :28:23.when you do well, but your opponent betters it. That is what Alex has

:28:24. > :28:27.been doing. I think he was being diplomatic there as well. Alex will

:28:28. > :29:09.know that Greg will come back at him pretty hard in the second set.

:29:10. > :29:22.That is pretty much what I expected. Nikki was saying, and I also believe

:29:23. > :29:34.that you are really trying to force Alex into playing the hard shots.

:29:35. > :29:41.They are not easy. Alex Marshall has got it. He has, but the jack has

:29:42. > :29:45.gone off into a respite position. That will not matter, because the

:29:46. > :29:53.jack is off the rink and it will go back on the re-spot.

:29:54. > :30:06.Lots of room, of course. But at the same time, it is not the best

:30:07. > :30:09.result, is it? It would have been unbeatable if it had held in the

:30:10. > :30:13.ditch. That is what is going to happen if you are going to put

:30:14. > :30:17.pressure on. You just hope that your opponent, even if he is on target,

:30:18. > :30:21.you hope that he hasn't the best result in the world. Greg will be

:30:22. > :30:35.looking for a good, close bowl. Normally Alex would drive that, but

:30:36. > :30:55.he cannot. He is going to tour it. He will be hoping to draw it.

:30:56. > :31:00.Players practice, trolling to the re-spot, part of the preparation.

:31:01. > :31:07.Never any bother getting his second shot. Never an issue. Just dropped a

:31:08. > :31:11.little short. Happy enough with that.

:31:12. > :31:36.APPLAUSE Greg Harlow needs this is set to

:31:37. > :31:40.force a tiebreak. The difficulty with this sort of draw, either of

:31:41. > :31:47.the two players could go on to win the event. They would have been

:31:48. > :31:53.preferring to have been coming up against each other in the

:31:54. > :32:00.quarter-finals or semifinals stage. But when you add in Stewart

:32:01. > :32:05.Anderson, Paul Foster, Nicky Brett, Robert Paxton... They are all

:32:06. > :32:12.potential winners. Andy Thomson is in there. I would not dismiss him in

:32:13. > :32:19.anyway. Mainly because he would not let me! He likes playing here, he

:32:20. > :32:28.plays well here. Half a dozen former winners lined up at the start of the

:32:29. > :32:41.two run. Nicky Brett is the man to beat. He has won it twice.

:32:42. > :32:51.It is one of those tournament is you think there is a potential eight to

:32:52. > :33:11.ten players out of the 32 who could win it.

:33:12. > :33:52.It is an easy game when you are as good as Alex Marshall!

:33:53. > :34:08.Greg Harlow needs an edge. He just got the tiniest bit. Slightly green,

:34:09. > :34:18.very slightly, very close. That is a good call. Alan really doesn't have

:34:19. > :34:26.enough time with the clock to go in and have a look at that. Look at

:34:27. > :34:35.this. Look at this! The crowd were clapping that around four or five

:34:36. > :34:41.metres away, they knew it was close. We have been saying it as well,

:34:42. > :34:47.Paul. He gets a good one in, Alex Marshall bangs and right away. A

:34:48. > :34:55.super shot, it really is. He set up a back position for himself.

:34:56. > :35:03.A change of hand for Greg Harlow. He does not fancy the forehand, I am

:35:04. > :35:07.surprised. I thought he might have tried to play it on the forehand,

:35:08. > :35:14.give himself a little chance at turning over the bowl.

:35:15. > :35:20.But... All down to personal choice at the end of the day and he

:35:21. > :35:54.favoured the back. One and a measure. Greg favours

:35:55. > :36:21.this. Yes... It is a bit of a match for the

:36:22. > :36:24.connoisseur, to be honest. There is a lot in it that you don't

:36:25. > :36:28.automatically see and to be truthful, the shot clock is there

:36:29. > :36:33.and it is therefore different reasons, I would really quite like

:36:34. > :36:41.to see this with plenty of time available. Six and a half metres. A

:36:42. > :36:44.psychological battle going on out there as well. But these guys know

:36:45. > :36:56.each other very well. APPLAUSE

:36:57. > :37:07.Slightly past, two inches past. So little to choose between these

:37:08. > :37:18.two men. Craig reached the semifinals of the

:37:19. > :37:31.worlds last year. That was a big run to the

:37:32. > :37:38.semi-final. He needed that, seeded 10th. It was a massive amount of

:37:39. > :37:45.points to pick up. I cannot really think of Greg Harlow going down the

:37:46. > :37:52.rankings, you almost look at him as one of the top players. Those coming

:37:53. > :38:04.through with Robert Paxton and Nicky Brett... Number one in 2006 and

:38:05. > :38:05.again in 2012. As you mentioned, down to 10th, that grabs your

:38:06. > :38:31.attention. That was a wry smile, he knows he

:38:32. > :38:33.has left the target... Alex Marshall bowled more than likely play in to

:38:34. > :38:56.this. Start again. He is keeping a very close eye on

:38:57. > :39:01.this. He is close. APPLAUSE

:39:02. > :39:08.Nothing to disturb him with that one. He played that well. Took the

:39:09. > :39:12.touching bowl of the rink at the same time.

:39:13. > :39:19.He could have locked on to the back red bowl but that would have been

:39:20. > :39:39.asking a bit much. He will be very happy with that.

:39:40. > :39:51.The way Alex Marshall is playing I am not convinced that is close

:39:52. > :40:09.enough. He still has a bowl to play. The only thing is, coming after a

:40:10. > :40:13.running bowl, the jack is off centre. I am not sure he is wide

:40:14. > :40:20.enough. He could be inside it if he has good weight, not to drift too

:40:21. > :40:24.much. The wait was good, but he missed a line. That is rarer. Yes,

:40:25. > :40:46.it is, he acknowledged himself. In it comes, he played it well. Greg

:40:47. > :41:26.Harlow picks up the double. Plenty of support on the balcony.

:41:27. > :41:34.That is his wife along with Les Gillett. Razor, I always like to see

:41:35. > :41:40.him about the place. I had a good chat with him earlier. He never

:41:41. > :41:56.fails to entertain. Yes, he is a good lad.

:41:57. > :42:07.He has got a good history, he came through in 1997 from the qualifiers.

:42:08. > :42:16.Out of the top 16 four off while but he has fought his way through. Back

:42:17. > :42:21.into the operation longs of the top circuit and it is not easy to do but

:42:22. > :42:26.he takes a lot of credit for him. It takes great determination to come

:42:27. > :42:56.back. Enjoyed great success here in Scotland.

:42:57. > :43:05.He is going for the bowls, Alex Marshall. Accurate again. There it

:43:06. > :43:13.goes on to the re-spot. He will not worry about that. The idea was to

:43:14. > :43:17.open it up. You cannot always get a 100% result but... He will be very

:43:18. > :43:22.happy to get space around it. There is a sign that Greg Harlow is coming

:43:23. > :43:29.into things now, definitely the more dominant in the second set. Alex was

:43:30. > :43:37.very much the lead player in the first set.

:43:38. > :43:43.That is stopping quicker than I thought. I bet you that Greg thought

:43:44. > :44:09.it was closer as well. That is a better looking track. Get

:44:10. > :44:17.the reward, in it comes. It looked like a bit on the narrow spot but

:44:18. > :44:24.that looked better all the way. 18 inches is doable.

:44:25. > :44:35.Going to come the other way. He was very wide. It made it into

:44:36. > :44:40.effectively in front of the Jackson he cannot go any wider and has

:44:41. > :44:50.enforced to come across the line and it is all about good weight. Stop

:44:51. > :44:55.any time. Just a little bit over. Alex can reply with a second shot,

:44:56. > :45:21.bringing him right back into things. A spear shot opportunity.

:45:22. > :45:46.A good hit by Alex, followed up by some good draws.

:45:47. > :45:53.We knew it would be close and it is. Alex Marshall taking the opening

:45:54. > :46:04.set. Greg Harlow with an advantage of one with four to play. I do not

:46:05. > :46:10.think he would have read too much, to be truthful. They are both

:46:11. > :46:15.playing well enough. -- he would have worried.

:46:16. > :46:19.But if you are looking for the full-length, you will be happy to

:46:20. > :46:33.see it come in. He will be even happier to see a

:46:34. > :46:35.close call like that. Playing away from the commentary box. We could

:46:36. > :47:04.see that all the way in. Alex Marshall will change onto the

:47:05. > :47:49.forehand. He is pushing it up. It looks a bit pacey. The jack is

:47:50. > :47:53.off centre, the normal situation of forehand would be to hold a little

:47:54. > :48:03.bit of weight so it makes sense to play with a yard more. Alex is

:48:04. > :48:04.trying to turn the jack round the corner and if he misses this, he

:48:05. > :48:38.gets a good position. The forehand runner. He knocked one

:48:39. > :48:46.out. Three seconds. The back position is all green.

:48:47. > :48:53.He will want something in there, to draw second shot, something close

:48:54. > :48:56.enough that both can be moved at the same time. He was on the target

:48:57. > :49:36.area. Another bowl needed. The forehand runner again from Greg

:49:37. > :49:55.Harlow. A nice little two shots for Alex to

:49:56. > :49:58.pick up back-to-back. An interesting run-up for the last three ends. He

:49:59. > :51:44.ticked the Greg will settle for that. Try and

:51:45. > :51:51.drop another one in. A little touch on the jack would be good. Dropped

:51:52. > :52:09.on his own bowl, make a double. That is good.

:52:10. > :52:19.Alex Askin, is the jack level? That is interesting. Most people still

:52:20. > :52:31.call it jack high. Very proper. -- Alex is asking.

:52:32. > :52:40.Just to decide, running through. A good place and that gives him

:52:41. > :53:09.options. A second shot would be good.

:53:10. > :53:22.That has just gone and inshore to two for. -- and inch or two.

:53:23. > :53:28.He will look at the re-spot position, he cannot afford to take

:53:29. > :53:32.his own bowl out on the runner and if he does that, he is three down.

:53:33. > :53:56.Time out called. The re-spot position is over in this

:53:57. > :54:00.direction. Moving off to the right hand side. That is to the right hand

:54:01. > :54:11.side of your picture. He is licking to try and rest up to

:54:12. > :54:37.the green bowl. -- he is looking. That looks like it is worse! That

:54:38. > :54:47.was unlucky. He wanted the bowl, not the jack. Greg Harlow does not need

:54:48. > :54:52.to worry. Let's look at this, absolutely perfect because he did

:54:53. > :54:58.not have enough weight to carry the jack through. Disappointment. That

:54:59. > :55:05.just dropped away. We do not know what the position is that it is at

:55:06. > :55:18.least one. It is at least one and it looks like too. I think the reaction

:55:19. > :55:25.from Alex in the end... Greg is trying to play into his own bowl if

:55:26. > :55:31.he can. Drop inside to the red if he can. What a shot that is! I think he

:55:32. > :55:43.was almost thinking I might get a drop on the jack. It was only the

:55:44. > :55:47.one. That was really good. Looking to see... He was hoping to get the

:55:48. > :55:57.edge of the red and drop back on the jack. He would have made for. Greg

:55:58. > :56:05.Harlow has just one time I'd left. With two ends to play in the set.

:56:06. > :56:14.Potentially a tie-break at left. This has been good. Really good,

:56:15. > :56:21.this set. Greg has just moved up a gear in the second set. He has been

:56:22. > :56:26.matching Alex all the way and on occasion, putting him under

:56:27. > :56:27.pressure. Both players have been using weighted shots to get out of

:56:28. > :56:58.bother, nothing between them. Alex is following that all macro

:56:59. > :57:12.up, baking sure he has the right line. He was not sure, he was

:57:13. > :57:24.encouraging it along. -- following that bowl up, making sure. He was so

:57:25. > :57:29.close with his last bowl. That is... I thought I heard a lot of talking

:57:30. > :57:36.going on. I think it was something... He was indicating they

:57:37. > :57:43.should stop the shot clock because it was not his fault. It did not

:57:44. > :57:49.appear to be movement, it was noise. You are perfectly allowed to do

:57:50. > :57:57.that, we have had it before. It has happened before. With a mobile

:57:58. > :58:11.phone. We just stopped the shot clock, that is it, forget about it.

:58:12. > :58:18.Something similar happened a couple of weeks ago, but it was the mobile

:58:19. > :58:23.phone belonging to the Minister! He was getting a call from his boss.

:58:24. > :58:33.Alex Marshall, offering some protection in front. It is very

:58:34. > :58:47.difficult, really, it is. He can afford to go into the last

:58:48. > :58:55.end level, knowing that he has two win the next end anyway. As long as

:58:56. > :59:04.he does not lose two shots. Try harder, but that doesn't have enough

:59:05. > :59:08.weight. Both players are being reasonably tentative and you can

:59:09. > :59:13.understand why. More so Greg who has to be very careful.

:59:14. > :59:30.He would dearly like to open their head up but he cannot afford to. If

:59:31. > :59:40.Alex drops the same he might be tempted. Just around the corner.

:59:41. > :59:50.That is a useful window. Every bowl has value. For Alex Marshall.

:59:51. > :59:56.Well... He is going onto the forehand. I thought he might, at

:59:57. > :00:04.some stage. He has been trying to tap the bowl, draw around it.

:00:05. > :00:13.That is a hard shot, but he has the weight. He has to be careful,

:00:14. > :00:20.really. He still has two win the last end, no matter what. With two

:00:21. > :00:25.shots... That is different. It is possible for Alex, if he can come

:00:26. > :00:30.around and touch onto the jack. He could be looking at three. It is

:00:31. > :00:39.tricky. I still think he will play the draw, to be truthful. Try and

:00:40. > :00:44.drop in on the high side. If he can get two points, he will be

:00:45. > :00:50.delighted. He knows the way it is sitting. There is a green bowl in

:00:51. > :00:53.there and if he can get to it, it could make a difference and that is

:00:54. > :01:00.why he is looking at the Angles but it's terribly risky.

:01:01. > :01:12.He would like to go into the last end holding one 2 shot lead, give

:01:13. > :01:16.himself a bit of a buffer. But he will need a very good bowl to add

:01:17. > :01:23.another one. I don't think he will have any other choice but to draw.

:01:24. > :01:44.Well, sometimes you have to be wary.

:01:45. > :01:54.Well, it was on the cards for a number of bowls there. The last few

:01:55. > :02:02.bowls did not have any effect. Greg will have the last delivery. Nothing

:02:03. > :03:14.between these two players in this set. It has been super stuff.

:03:15. > :03:24.Greg making absolutely sure he was behind it. In this situation, you

:03:25. > :04:08.are better to adjust back than just forward.

:04:09. > :04:53.Can't do any more than that. See what your opponent does.

:04:54. > :05:03.Alex must like this, because he is trying to encourage it forward. Just

:05:04. > :05:14.didn't have the weight. He must have really liked that, because he was

:05:15. > :05:15.right behind it. However, Greg Harlow will play the back and

:05:16. > :05:36.again. -- backhand. Time-out called. I think that is his final time-out.

:05:37. > :05:46.Well, it is a tie-break, he gets an extra one anyway. He might as well

:05:47. > :05:49.use them. If he plays this absolutely right, it will be hard

:05:50. > :05:59.for Alex Marshall to do anything about it.

:06:00. > :06:10.Tell you what, I reckon he thought that was closer as well. He knows he

:06:11. > :06:26.has given Alex Marshall a chance here.

:06:27. > :06:37.Time-out called. He is looking at the front bowl as well to try and

:06:38. > :06:40.take the green one out. I think the difficulty was that he probably

:06:41. > :06:45.thought his last bowl was right on it, and it dropped short. That is

:06:46. > :06:49.what is making him hesitant. If he knew he was half a yard short with

:06:50. > :06:53.his third bowl, he wouldn't hesitate, he would go straight in

:06:54. > :07:02.their android. But because of that, he is thinking.

:07:03. > :07:30.Don't believe it! Goodness me. That looked so good. Well, he gave

:07:31. > :07:38.himself two chances. Split away from the green bowl.

:07:39. > :07:57.Couldn't get any closer. Greg Harlow and Alex Marshall have

:07:58. > :08:06.not been disappointing in this game. Alex Marshall felt he had it,

:08:07. > :08:10.but it wasn't to be for the third time in four meetings between these

:08:11. > :08:23.two great players. It is a tie-break. It has good stuff.

:08:24. > :08:43.I think he is still shaking his head about that bowl. Alex was looking at

:08:44. > :08:51.it. I was watching him and the body language normally tells you when he

:08:52. > :09:00.is right there. I would have said even a yard away from that, he

:09:01. > :09:12.reckoned he had it. It is good stuff. We have seen very few

:09:13. > :09:20.tie-break sofa, certainly compared to last year, when it seemed be

:09:21. > :09:25.every other day. -- every other game. There some any good players

:09:26. > :09:34.left the event after the first round. I think we will see a lot of

:09:35. > :09:42.tie-breaks. Maximum of three ends, if you are not familiar with the

:09:43. > :09:46.format. That is interesting, not hanging around. Well, he has opened

:09:47. > :10:08.it up. That can be a valid tactic when you

:10:09. > :10:14.are this good. It is not when you are not that good! It is all right

:10:15. > :10:21.for Alex Marshall or Greg Harlow. But it is a hard shot to play. Alex

:10:22. > :10:57.will be drawing this time. Didn't expect it to be that far

:10:58. > :11:01.away. I don't think he did either. He realised that Greg had not played

:11:02. > :11:08.a particularly good second bowl, and it was available to him. Greg can

:11:09. > :11:10.now make the alterations required. So much better with this one. That

:11:11. > :11:20.changes things. The jack will probably go off the

:11:21. > :11:47.rink if he goes for it. That was actually a valuable bowl

:11:48. > :11:56.for him. And it might just stay on. It is right on the edge of the rink.

:11:57. > :12:16.They are happy that it is in. He has played a really good end

:12:17. > :12:25.here. Alex kissed a chance on the first draw, and Greg closed it down.

:12:26. > :12:50.-- Alex missed a chance. Alex might have to play this on the

:12:51. > :12:55.forehand. That is a horrible shot, to be honest with you. In terms of

:12:56. > :13:07.difficulty, it is almost off the scale. Time-out called. This is a

:13:08. > :13:33.toughie. It is hard to judge your line, never

:13:34. > :13:46.mind the weight of it. Couldn't afford to be too heavy. That was a

:13:47. > :14:02.difficult one. Greg Harlow takes the opening to this tie-break.

:14:03. > :14:54.It has been a fantastic game. Alex had the edge in the first set. Very

:14:55. > :16:21.That is terrific. away. I think he has to stay away

:16:22. > :16:25.from it. Do you try and plug the gap? No, because the backhand is

:16:26. > :16:47.playable as well. Absolutely no shot to play. For the

:16:48. > :16:54.connoisseur, this is brilliant. This is tactical genius what to do and

:16:55. > :17:05.when do it. Greg is on the forehand now. It is a wonderful psychological

:17:06. > :17:14.battle out there. You expect Greg on his forehand in particular to be

:17:15. > :17:19.close to this, and he is. That is the problem for Alex. He couldn't go

:17:20. > :17:29.near it, because he couldn't afford to give the shot away. Superb from

:17:30. > :17:38.Greg Harlow. He had to leave that shot and hope that Greg missed it.

:17:39. > :17:44.That was all he could do. Advantage, England. Now the difficulty is that

:17:45. > :17:49.that plant looks as if it has taken the closest red bowl out, but he

:17:50. > :17:53.still has the runt red one. So he's looking at it. I think he will have

:17:54. > :18:02.to play the runner straight through onto the green bowl. It will

:18:03. > :18:37.probably take out this bowl, I would imagine.

:18:38. > :18:54.Oh! Greg Harlow snaps a three-game losing streak against Alex Marshall.

:18:55. > :18:58.What a game. We expect is an epic match, and that is precisely what we

:18:59. > :19:04.got. Alex Marshall took the first set, Greg Harlow took the second,

:19:05. > :19:07.and the tie-break goes to the Englishman. Greg Harlow advances to

:19:08. > :20:35.the quarterfinals of the Scottish International Open.

:20:36. > :21:05.Well, we knew it was going to be a great game.

:21:06. > :21:10.Yes, Greg Harlow through by a whisker. I spoke to you before this

:21:11. > :21:15.match and I said to you, we are expecting an epic tussle, and it

:21:16. > :21:18.certainly was. I wasn't too sure at halfway that it would be an epic

:21:19. > :21:23.tussle, but I was glad it turned into one for you. You got off to a

:21:24. > :21:28.great start. Your length was very good and it was looking promising.

:21:29. > :21:34.Yeah, I was very happy. But I always knew Greg was going to come back at

:21:35. > :21:40.me. I was happy with the way things were going, but I expect him to come

:21:41. > :21:44.back strong. In this format, if you lose the first set, you can almost

:21:45. > :21:49.forget about it. That seemed to be the way you were playing the game.

:21:50. > :21:55.You were struggling a bit in the first set. Yes, I never give up, but

:21:56. > :22:00.in my mind, the first set had gone and I was trying to reset for the

:22:01. > :22:06.second set. If I let Alex getaway in the second set, he would be down the

:22:07. > :22:10.road. The turning point in the hatch was the seventh end of the second

:22:11. > :22:14.set, with a big bowl required to put pressure on Alex. I had a good lead,

:22:15. > :22:19.and then let it slip. Then it was a big bowl to get my nose back in

:22:20. > :22:24.front, which is all important when you are chasing to win the second

:22:25. > :22:29.set. I played a good end, probably my best of the match. It was all

:22:30. > :22:34.looking very good indeed. At that point, Alex, you did clap, because

:22:35. > :22:41.it was a fine bowl. It forced you to play with a bit of weight on your

:22:42. > :22:45.first bowl of that set. What were your thoughts behind using the

:22:46. > :22:54.weight as opposed to the draw? I was looking to get my short bowl onto

:22:55. > :23:03.Greg's bowl. But the green bowl didn't move. If it had rolled over

:23:04. > :23:09.once, it would have been enough. Watching that, I noticed that you

:23:10. > :23:13.breathed a sigh of relief. I could see he was on target, so I was

:23:14. > :23:16.setting myself up to think, you have eight inches to redraw the shot,

:23:17. > :23:23.which is never easy, to save the match. But then as my green one

:23:24. > :23:27.stayed there, it was relief. I was glad not to play the last bowl.

:23:28. > :23:33.Let's look at the tie-break as well. Ultimately, a very big bowl from you

:23:34. > :23:39.to close out the match and force Alex into a big shot. Yeah, I was in

:23:40. > :23:42.the ascendancy them. Alex had been in charge of the whole match. I

:23:43. > :23:46.pinched the second to get into the tie-break, and I was feeling the

:23:47. > :23:51.most confident I had been through the whole game. That was a great

:23:52. > :23:53.shot, whereas in the first set, I would not have thought I could get

:23:54. > :23:58.anywhere near that one. Confidence is key in this game, and his line

:23:59. > :24:01.and length were getting really strong towards the end of the

:24:02. > :24:06.match, where yours had been on the money in the beginning. Correct.

:24:07. > :24:16.Greg played a brilliant shot with that last bowl and virtually left me

:24:17. > :24:20.with nothing to play. That guy just doesn't miss. He certainly doesn't.

:24:21. > :24:27.He was on fire. Quarterfinals for you again in Perth, and playing

:24:28. > :24:33.well? Yes, happy with that. I need to start earlier. If not, I could be

:24:34. > :24:38.in trouble. Overall, I probably pinched it a bit. Alex was more

:24:39. > :24:42.consistent. But very happy to be in the quarterfinals. I believe it is

:24:43. > :24:47.Thursday, so a day off. Alex, commiserations to you. Greg Harlow,

:24:48. > :24:53.through to the quarterfinals, well done.

:24:54. > :25:00.Well, fantastic stuff from these two. Greg really got it right at the

:25:01. > :25:02.right time. He's through to the quarterfinals of the competition.

:25:03. > :25:09.Now, who will be in the quarterfinals alongside the Carlow?

:25:10. > :25:10.Andy Thomson, do you reckon? Well, I don't think anyone would argue if

:25:11. > :25:40.you called him Mr consistency. People keep going on about my age.

:25:41. > :25:45.To get to a singles final was really special. I was just delighted to be

:25:46. > :25:50.there. I had been playing good bowls up to the final. Unfortunately, I

:25:51. > :26:05.went down a couple of notches and Alex played really well. So good to

:26:06. > :26:10.get to the final, but disappointing. Very fortunate that I have managed

:26:11. > :26:14.to win world titles. But I still have the urge to come to Scotland.

:26:15. > :26:19.My family are here, so it is always nice to come to Scotland as well. My

:26:20. > :26:23.home is down south, but I still have the motivation to do well in the big

:26:24. > :26:27.tournament. For me, the big tournaments are the TV once. These

:26:28. > :26:32.are the ones you want to excel in. So that is the goal for me,

:26:33. > :26:36.especially in the indoor season. I keep reasonably fit. That is an

:26:37. > :26:42.important part. I don't do much fitness training. But fortunately, I

:26:43. > :26:47.am quite slim. I am lucky in that respect. I feel as though I still

:26:48. > :26:51.have another four or five years left. It is always difficult once

:26:52. > :26:58.you get on a bit. People do question. But my motivation is still

:26:59. > :27:01.there. I still want to seriously do well in the tournaments. I prepare

:27:02. > :27:07.for them. I do still work at the game. Maybe when I lose the love of

:27:08. > :27:10.working at the game, that is when you start to think, maybe I

:27:11. > :27:16.shouldn't be here. My form is good. I don't feel as though it is

:27:17. > :27:23.declining. I still feel as though I am playing well. I practise with all

:27:24. > :27:30.the top players. You just don't know. It might be your week, who

:27:31. > :27:35.knows? The top boys are the favourites, but I could still match

:27:36. > :27:39.them on any given day. Match them and beat them. I've been Andy

:27:40. > :27:43.Thompson, playing fantastic bowls this week and also at the world

:27:44. > :27:45.earlier this year. This afternoon at the Dewars Centre in Perth, he faces

:27:46. > :28:14.David Richardson. Not quite what I expected. I thought

:28:15. > :28:20.it would be quicker, but I am happy with it. I had a good result with

:28:21. > :28:26.it. I have been playing for 32 years now, been on the PPA circuit for

:28:27. > :28:36.seven or eight years. Delighted to get this far. I have played him

:28:37. > :28:40.outdoors three times. 2-1 behind. The occasion, the players you have

:28:41. > :28:45.got here, the standard is very high. Just take one round at a time. I am

:28:46. > :28:50.taking it a year at a time and if I qualify again, it is good. Ladies

:28:51. > :28:54.and gentlemen, please give a very warm welcome to the final two

:28:55. > :28:57.boulders onto the rig here at the Dewars Centre in Perth this

:28:58. > :29:08.afternoon, former England Champion of champions, David Richardson!

:29:09. > :29:41.And facing David this afternoon, former world champion Andy Thompson!

:29:42. > :29:47.Joining Paul Mitchell in the commentary box is Robert Paxton.

:29:48. > :29:52.It is interesting. Andy Thompson says he has nothing to improve -- to

:29:53. > :29:56.prove to anyone any more. But he is capable of winning. Definitely. He

:29:57. > :30:03.says he says he's enjoying it, but he is going out with one thing in

:30:04. > :30:12.mind, that is to win. He's certainly capable, no doubt about that. Andy

:30:13. > :30:16.has been playing well. And it is a test to play somebody you have not

:30:17. > :30:22.played that often and certainly not indoors. Definitely. He is going to

:30:23. > :30:24.enjoy it today. He will give it his best. As soon as he gets on the

:30:25. > :31:07.board, his nerves will go. For the players who have come

:31:08. > :31:12.through, they have qualified, it's important that they get into the

:31:13. > :31:19.game immediately. You do not want to fall behind to the likes of Andy

:31:20. > :31:23.Thomson. Definitely, so many qualifiers coming through these

:31:24. > :31:28.days, knocking on the door. If you are with them, the seeds are the

:31:29. > :32:17.only one who are worried. A good opening bowl. He has changed

:32:18. > :32:26.since the first round as well, just getting used to a new set of bowls,

:32:27. > :32:34.always a little bit afraid. -- bit different.

:32:35. > :32:47.A good first round win against Mark Dawes. 11-7. He was 7-0 down in the

:32:48. > :32:54.second set. He played some great bowls to get himself back into it,

:32:55. > :33:05.and put Mark Dawes under pressure. Left-handed player.

:33:06. > :33:16.Looking for a change of result. A little bit short. The red bowl looks

:33:17. > :33:30.a little bit lonely. I do not think Andy will be too adventurous to

:33:31. > :33:36.start with. He has decided to have a go. He must be careful. How far

:33:37. > :34:02.through will he run? He wanted the jack ideally. The

:34:03. > :34:12.first end, the first job for the umpire. It is a nice easy one for

:34:13. > :34:23.Sandra. The bowls are scattered to the four corners of the comp is. Or

:34:24. > :35:03.perhaps, that English would be scattered to all four points! Check

:35:04. > :35:19.which red bowl is closest first. It looked like the shot and it is.

:35:20. > :35:25.From the point of view of David Richardson, he played one good bowl

:35:26. > :35:34.at that end. Quite happy. Played a good opener. I think he will get

:35:35. > :35:37.there. He is a little bit nervous, obviously, in front of the TV

:35:38. > :36:05.cameras but I think he will settle down. Jack length, 29 metres.

:36:06. > :36:38.Coming back. David Richardson, the qualifier, you had a bit of trouble

:36:39. > :36:45.yourself with a qualifier. Gary is a qualifier, he is better than that.

:36:46. > :36:50.Pushing for the 16. A great chance of getting it, potentially, this

:36:51. > :36:55.year. It was always going to be a tough battle out there in the first

:36:56. > :36:57.round. A great game, all the way to a tie-break. Very good game, both of

:36:58. > :37:43.us played decently that night. Good play from Andy. Just doing what

:37:44. > :37:57.he has got to do, not giving him much room, stepping in.

:37:58. > :38:15.Andy Thomson, you would expect, would pop in a fourth. He will be

:38:16. > :38:39.looking to turn that jack round the corner a little bit.

:38:40. > :39:00.Do you try and play heavy and scattered us? He is probably

:39:01. > :39:01.dropping a three, he has got to be straight down this, he is not afraid

:39:02. > :39:51.to. David Richardson will take some

:39:52. > :39:56.consolation from that, a good hit, but he needs to get his drawing game

:39:57. > :41:25.in order. Definitely, we know it is there.

:41:26. > :41:37.A lot better with this. This is the one.

:41:38. > :41:48.It is important for him. Andy Thomson would happily outdraw you

:41:49. > :42:19.all day long. A chance here. The same hand. That has gone out

:42:20. > :42:24.wide, staying well away. I think you might be tempted. That is the

:42:25. > :42:31.problem, the consequence of not younger. For Andy, there is a

:42:32. > :42:46.chance. -- consequence of not being there. He will have a little run.

:42:47. > :43:07.Just on the top side. He does not miss many of these runners. He plays

:43:08. > :43:09.it nicely, he does not overcook it. A chance to get a double, get right

:43:10. > :43:46.back into it. One shot, David Richardson. It just

:43:47. > :43:57.went a little bit through on that occasion.

:43:58. > :44:08.It will be interesting what he does with the jack.

:44:09. > :44:25.A little change after the way Andy played the first end.

:44:26. > :45:45.Left-hander. Coming from the backhand.

:45:46. > :45:58.In it comes again. He is putting the pressure right on. You feel the

:45:59. > :46:03.pressure that little bit more when you have an dropping the bowl short.

:46:04. > :46:07.It does not help, you have to give yourself a chance.

:46:08. > :46:27.Same again. The side of the green this way is a little bit heavier.

:46:28. > :46:37.The lines are good. It is just that little bit heavier. And he is in

:46:38. > :46:45.again. APPLAUSE

:46:46. > :46:50.Played a huge bowl the last end coming this way and he is going to

:46:51. > :47:00.do it again. It is harder, no room to get through.

:47:01. > :47:10.The thought process will be, don't be short, give yourself a chance. It

:47:11. > :47:22.needs to run. It needs to run a touch and he has played a good one.

:47:23. > :47:27.He has played a good one! He cuts it down to one. He does not mind

:47:28. > :47:31.playing bowls under pressure. He doesn't, but you don't want to waste

:47:32. > :47:54.too many. You can only get so many of those to go your way.

:47:55. > :48:12.He has given that a chance. In he comes. Just fell away.

:48:13. > :48:21.If in doubt, measure. Andy Thomson always stores. No point in having a

:48:22. > :48:29.conference about it. Andy will be honest. He will keep the umpire

:48:30. > :48:46.busy. He does not have the best eyesight.

:48:47. > :49:14.There is a gap. A little bit closer... It is between the front to

:49:15. > :49:20.bowls. Two shots, Andy Thomson. He just got there with his last

:49:21. > :49:29.delivery. Andy Thomson... Easing into this game. Away from the

:49:30. > :49:43.commentary box end it is coming together. Andy has played to great

:49:44. > :49:46.ends. Picked up a couple of counts. Davis just about hanging in there.

:49:47. > :49:53.He needs to string a couple of ends together. Such is the nature of sets

:49:54. > :50:02.play, even if this gets away, you can play yourself into it. He never

:50:03. > :50:08.gives up. 7-0 down in the previous match, the second set, he came back

:50:09. > :50:16.and took the set so he obviously has fight in him. Stayed on the

:50:17. > :50:21.qualifier circuit for seven years and finally made the breakthrough.

:50:22. > :50:24.Almost got through in a couple of events this year, lost in the

:50:25. > :50:56.international open final, in a tie-break.

:50:57. > :51:08.A couple of loose openers from Andy. A chance now, and this is where he

:51:09. > :51:17.has to step in. You will not get many chances out there. He was over

:51:18. > :51:55.grassing before. This seems to be better, stepping inside.

:51:56. > :52:24.unlucky. He swapped that round. You have got to be stepping in. In

:52:25. > :52:30.general terms, it is not bad bowls but at this level... You have got to

:52:31. > :53:08.be a foot and a half. Andy will think himself lucky. The three loose

:53:09. > :57:25.old macro he has put round... -- the three

:57:26. > :57:47.Are A really good second goal from David Richardson. -- second bowl.

:57:48. > :58:29.Just seemed to lose weight quickly. It is not a bad bowl where it has

:58:30. > :58:31.finished. Dave Richardson has got to get round that. He has changed

:58:32. > :58:46.hands. Great effort. If Andy can get to the

:58:47. > :00:02.back red and drop it down... He is having trouble, David

:00:03. > :00:10.Richardson. He has never looked settled. He hasn't quite fallen into

:00:11. > :00:16.the pace yet. Of course, the more you struggle, your arm does get

:00:17. > :00:20.tents and feels a bit heavy. When you are playing well, you almost

:00:21. > :00:25.don't notice the bowl being released, because it is playing so

:00:26. > :00:30.well. When you are not playing well, the tension is there. Sometimes your

:00:31. > :00:34.shoulders are not as relaxed as you would like to be. You just generally

:00:35. > :00:38.overthink. That is the problem as well. The more you think during a

:00:39. > :00:52.game, the worse it is. You need everything to go with the flow,

:00:53. > :00:59.simple. Normal service resumed for Andy Thomson, moving away from the

:01:00. > :02:10.commentary box after four loose bowls at the last end.

:02:11. > :02:28.It is another good effort. He is not giving him any room. I would be

:02:29. > :02:33.tempted to go with the next. He has got to win this end. The way he is

:02:34. > :02:35.playing at the moment, I don't think he is capable of getting the shot on

:02:36. > :02:59.the draw. Andy Thomson, just checking the

:03:00. > :03:03.score, which is not appearing on the scoreboard at the moment. He is 7-3

:03:04. > :03:23.ahead. If you were going to go there, you

:03:24. > :03:27.had to go with your third bowl to give yourself a chance with your

:03:28. > :03:44.fourth. He has made his final shot really hard now.

:03:45. > :04:02.Sometimes you just need to get that arm going through.

:04:03. > :04:49.If he had get there. It was off that back

:04:50. > :06:16.bowl. Probably just as well it did. Credit to him for the hit.

:06:17. > :06:37.Not looking too bad. A good time to play two of your best bowls.

:06:38. > :07:05.The first time in the set that Andy has felt a bit of pressure.

:07:06. > :07:08.You can see he is feeling more relaxed now in his body language. He

:07:09. > :08:31.has played another good one. A touch unlucky, possibly. Played it

:08:32. > :08:37.to perfection. It is two reds. Andy Thomson may use one of his time-outs

:08:38. > :08:47.here. I don't think he could change anything. Time-out called. It

:08:48. > :08:54.depends if he can see the edge of his own bowl. If he can't, he might

:08:55. > :09:12.attack it. Andy has four time-outs remaining.

:09:13. > :09:22.The green bowl has fallen. And it has actually brought him the second

:09:23. > :09:32.shot. That will certainly make his mind up now. Makes such a big

:09:33. > :10:05.difference at this stage. Definitely.

:10:06. > :10:14.Well, he has looked at the set on a few occasions, so credit to him for

:10:15. > :10:20.battling back. But now he has defined at least a two. -- he has to

:10:21. > :10:35.find at least a two. I have been in both situations

:10:36. > :10:42.myself, same as Andy, playing well, but can't get review opponent. And I

:10:43. > :10:51.have been hanging on by the skin of your teeth. You never know.

:10:52. > :11:05.Not a bad first bowl. Andy Thomson, Scottish International open

:11:06. > :11:22.semifinalist 12 months ago. And that is pretty good. Almost

:11:23. > :12:02.perfect, really. You're bowl is an inch and a half.

:12:03. > :12:06.This bowl is 14 inches. This bowl, the gap is 18 inches. Good, clear

:12:07. > :12:30.instruction. Yes, some of the best umpires in the

:12:31. > :12:34.game. A poor bowl from Andy. There were options on the other hand

:12:35. > :13:21.perhaps just to drop between the red.

:13:22. > :13:33.He will not be pleased with that. If it is just in front of the length

:13:34. > :13:42.bomb that is certainly usable. What do you do here, Robert? Do you play

:13:43. > :13:47.with a bit of weight to push it? You know your opponent has got right of

:13:48. > :13:51.reply. Time-out called. Unfortunately, he has got to play

:13:52. > :13:59.the shot which is so hard on this carpet. He is just looking to turn

:14:00. > :14:49.the jack around the corner. All credit to David Richardson, the

:14:50. > :14:54.44-year-old from. Very shaky first couple of ends, but settled down and

:14:55. > :15:04.got himself into it. He finished the set pretty well, so it has given him

:15:05. > :15:06.the confidence now. I think if you start the second set well, he could

:15:07. > :15:38.push Andy in this one. Winner in 2007, Andy Thomson. He has

:15:39. > :15:48.reached the quarterfinal or better in seven of his 12 International

:15:49. > :16:03.Open appearances. Up against David Richardson.

:16:04. > :18:26.Dave has an early chance in the second set.

:18:27. > :18:54.Here comes Andy Thomson. He played a good one, Andy.

:18:55. > :19:00.Andy Thomson has a drink to refresh himself. We will be staying with

:19:01. > :19:05.this second set at the Scottish International Open in Perth. David

:19:06. > :19:15.Richardson of England, Andy Thomson, an Anglo Scot.

:19:16. > :19:28.Andy Thomson takes the opening end. Again, there are signs there of

:19:29. > :19:33.David Richardson. It was the right selection, just on the heavy side.

:19:34. > :19:37.Definitely. He is getting into the match now. Andy knows that, so Andy

:19:38. > :19:49.will be trying to step up another gear. Play UK-based qualifiers is

:19:50. > :19:52.never easy on this carpet, because the standard of the players is

:19:53. > :20:01.getting higher and higher coming through. Just looking at the ranking

:20:02. > :20:17.of the players coming up, there are some quality players coming through.

:20:18. > :20:22.There four or five players coming through that could easily get into

:20:23. > :20:37.the 16. The advantage of being in the top 16

:20:38. > :20:38.is that you automatically go through to the event, you don't have to

:20:39. > :21:04.qualify. Any bowler can enter the

:21:05. > :21:09.qualifiers, that is the great thing about the sport. You have got to be

:21:10. > :21:12.decent, I would warn you. But you can come up against the top players

:21:13. > :21:18.in the world if you can qualify. Definitely. There are so mini

:21:19. > :21:32.players who play in the qualifiers, of all levels, just to get a chance

:21:33. > :21:36.-- so many players. It is tough. The qualifiers are hard days, playing

:21:37. > :21:41.five or six games in a day. When you get through, this is the reward,

:21:42. > :21:48.playing the top players on the blue carpet. It is what everyone dreams

:21:49. > :21:56.about doing. Andy Thomson wants another look at this.

:21:57. > :22:10.He will use a time-out here. In terms of time-out monetarist, is

:22:11. > :22:16.early to use it in the set, or is it good use of it? It is always a tough

:22:17. > :22:19.one. You have got to use it when you feel right. When I played my first

:22:20. > :22:23.round, I would use three in the first set, which does put the

:22:24. > :22:24.pressure on going into your second set. But I think Andy just wanted to

:22:25. > :22:48.check the angles. That was exceptionally firm. All the

:22:49. > :22:50.good work of David Richardson undone by the even better work of Andy

:22:51. > :23:02.Thomson. Great strike. You get the five time-outs in both

:23:03. > :23:26.sets, and if it does go to a tie-break, you get an extra one.

:23:27. > :24:53.Well played again. It has been a great end of bowls. He played that

:24:54. > :25:21.hand so well with his third bowl. Almost a repeat of the start of the

:25:22. > :25:28.opening set, Andy Thomson taking the first two ends. The differs between

:25:29. > :25:38.the first set and second set as the quality of the play.

:25:39. > :25:45.You mentioned that Andy has taken up the coaching role with the under

:25:46. > :25:49.25s. That is a good appointment. He has coaching experience from the

:25:50. > :25:54.Commonwealth Games and he can bring that across. It is a fantastic job

:25:55. > :25:59.taking on the opportunity for the youngsters. There are only benefits

:26:00. > :26:04.from it. They will learn so much from having Andy at the helm with

:26:05. > :26:09.his experience. Nicky Brett is also involved on the selection side, so

:26:10. > :26:19.having those two guys involved is great for the youngsters.

:26:20. > :27:11.The Commonwealth Games were obviously a great tournament for the

:27:12. > :28:00.home nation. They were good for the Scots. 19 golds.

:28:01. > :28:05.Although the game is the same, the carpet does play differently to your

:28:06. > :28:33.standard carpets. He gave it a chance. He is in

:28:34. > :28:36.amongst those green bowls. Unlike club carpets, which are put down

:28:37. > :28:41.permanently, this is a portable rink and it is built in a certain way. It

:28:42. > :28:45.is done beautifully, to precision and perfection, but it makes it a

:28:46. > :28:49.different surface. Definitely. This year, the lines in the carpet have

:28:50. > :28:57.been really good and he has played really well. -- it has played well.

:28:58. > :29:02.And the bowls people use on here are generally different from your

:29:03. > :29:46.standard indoor players. They are almost getting bigger and bigger.

:29:47. > :29:52.go out, in the first round, John Mervyn King among them, John Price

:29:53. > :29:55.one of the others. -- in the first round, Mervyn King among them.

:29:56. > :31:15.Looking to get a top of his own. Greg Harlow in conversation with

:31:16. > :31:20.Stuart Anderson. Two former world champions. Greg Harlow, great game

:31:21. > :31:24.earlier, against Marshall. Always going to be the game of the day and

:31:25. > :31:28.it went that way, great game between two bowlers, at the top of their

:31:29. > :31:35.game. Having a celebratory pint, there. He has got the day off

:31:36. > :31:41.tomorrow. Safely through to the quarterfinals on Thursday. You have

:31:42. > :31:49.a busy day tomorrow. Yes, I have a game tomorrow. Will not be easy. I

:31:50. > :31:54.need to get back into the top 16, takes some doing. Getting there

:31:55. > :31:58.once, is good, but getting back in, even harder. One of the feature

:31:59. > :32:01.matches tomorrow, do join us. Top-class bowls from Firth, the

:32:02. > :32:15.Scottish international open continued.

:32:16. > :32:21.These two have never met on the world Bowls Tour, they have played

:32:22. > :33:20.each other down south outdoors. But never indoors.

:33:21. > :33:28.Solid forehand shot. From Andy Thomson. His forehand is the

:33:29. > :33:38.back-end of the left-handed player. -- backhand. Needs a small

:33:39. > :34:21.correction from his first two. Certainly better. You can see from

:34:22. > :34:26.his body language, that he was dropping that one short. Chance

:34:27. > :35:01.here, drops a foot. Great offer, in he comes... Needs to

:35:02. > :35:04.run for two. Great shot. APPLAUSE Made the adjustment perfectly. Good

:35:05. > :35:09.with his third, even better with his fourth. Andy Thomson will know that

:35:10. > :35:24.he gave him a chance with the third ball.

:35:25. > :35:35.Not much running for Andy now on the draw. Will be perfect to get around

:35:36. > :35:45.his own. Not bad... That is a great shot! APPLAUSE

:35:46. > :35:53.1-shot. When you are facing a three-time world indoor singles

:35:54. > :36:02.champion, nothing is safe, that is a great shot. You take nothing for

:36:03. > :36:05.granted but almost in his mind he is thinking, I could be ahead here in

:36:06. > :36:15.this set, and all of a sudden, Andy Thomson does that. Aside from going

:36:16. > :36:25.3-1 up, you are free to two down. -- suddenly, you could have gone three

:36:26. > :36:29.3-1 up, you are 3-2 down. That is the difference with players like

:36:30. > :36:38.Andy, Greg, Alex, under pressure, you can put out a bowl, and turn the

:36:39. > :37:38.game. -- 3-1 up. Starting with a good opener.

:37:39. > :37:43.You are watching coverage of David Richardson playing Andy Thomson in

:37:44. > :37:50.the Scottish international open, we will stay with this game until 6pm.

:37:51. > :37:51.I know that listening to Robert now, you thought that you were listening

:37:52. > :38:47.to the Eggheads... (!) Interesting, what David plays here,

:38:48. > :38:57.he has a hard shot down the back end. What would you play? Not

:38:58. > :39:01.sure... It is one of those, the backhand does look really good. He

:39:02. > :39:05.has got to play it quicker than he wanted to, but he has the chance,

:39:06. > :39:08.played the right shot. His backhand, I should say. Trying to lose a

:39:09. > :39:24.fraction of his last. Might have to cover here. His

:39:25. > :40:19.forehand coming round, drawing. Richardson goes with pace. Has one

:40:20. > :40:24.of them covered. This depends, where he hits it, where it will go, you

:40:25. > :41:11.have got to suspect it may bounce off. That will go away very quickly

:41:12. > :41:28.underneath there. Will not hold. Very tight, very cagey second set.

:41:29. > :41:35.Singles all the way. Couple of weekends coming up. If Andy wins the

:41:36. > :42:05.next two, then it is pretty much match over.

:42:06. > :42:53.Looking for a very small adjustment. Looking pretty good.

:42:54. > :43:25.Looking very good. Knows that this is the time to step up again.

:43:26. > :43:31.Looking to add another one here. It proves that when he -- he proved he

:43:32. > :43:34.can come back from a deficit when he beat Mark Dawes, he was trailing,

:43:35. > :43:48.the problem is, if he loses this end, time runs out pretty quickly.

:43:49. > :43:52.Two bolts to stay in the match. -- bowls.

:43:53. > :44:26.Certainly a better ball. Andy Thomson. Thinking about a time out,

:44:27. > :44:36.could come with the forehand, turned the red ball over. -- turn over the

:44:37. > :45:02.red ball. Playing down the four... Just turn the red ball.

:45:03. > :45:12.He If does drop this away, probably three or four. Is he running?

:45:13. > :45:29.APPLAUSE. That was the main one. He threw that

:45:30. > :45:38.shot but a few. -- beautifully. It would take a perfect draw to beat

:45:39. > :46:03.him. The shot bowl, he had to drop all that. He calls a time-out.

:46:04. > :46:28.This is a big bowl for David Richardson. He has just got through

:46:29. > :46:36.it. Yes. In the end... Andy Thomson explaining that he cannot tell the

:46:37. > :46:55.measure, the back green one is not going to trouble things.

:46:56. > :47:24.It is going to be red. Two shots, Andy Thomson.

:47:25. > :47:35.APPLAUSE. He has just been there or

:47:36. > :47:40.thereabouts, Andy Thomson, just enough to keep ahead. He has played

:47:41. > :47:46.some good bowls, Andy Thomson, under pressure. He is just pushing through

:47:47. > :48:31.and getting the job done at the moment.

:48:32. > :48:34.David Richardson will be certainly looking to score at least a double

:48:35. > :48:49.at this end, surely? The three he has to play,

:48:50. > :48:54.realistically, he need stunt. To just give himself a chance. And that

:48:55. > :49:02.is the way to go about starting. -- he needs two. He has played decent

:49:03. > :49:05.bowls in the second set but every time he has had something in there,

:49:06. > :49:13.Andy Thomson has come up with the answer. As he has done so, again.

:49:14. > :49:41.APPLAUSE. It has been pretty relentless.

:49:42. > :49:59.Pretty good again. All he can do is build up ahead. Give himself a

:50:00. > :50:09.chance. Andy Thomson, changes his hand, this new jack is the Red Bull.

:50:10. > :50:25.He just wants to come inside. -- Red Bull. Two green. Unfortunately,

:50:26. > :50:30.David has got that shot that nobody wants to play, he just has to give

:50:31. > :50:39.it a chance, really. It is so hard. You have got one bowl width to get

:50:40. > :50:40.that and you are punished either way, you can hang or go tight very

:50:41. > :50:56.quickly. That was a great offer. He gets the

:50:57. > :51:13.bowl and drops. That is a very good effort. Just checking his time ats.

:51:14. > :51:26.-- time outs. He will be looking to see if his two bowls can go clean,

:51:27. > :51:34.bowl jack, respots. Theoretically, if you strike correctly, both of

:51:35. > :51:36.those green bowls could go. Without the Jack even being moved. Let us

:51:37. > :52:11.see what he does. He has got every right to take his

:52:12. > :52:21.time. He has to play this reasonably firm. Look for the front green,

:52:22. > :52:22.almost solid. He gets the green bowl solid and there is a chance it might

:52:23. > :52:35.take him through. I do not want to go dramatise this

:52:36. > :52:41.but this is the game, right here. -- overdramatise this. Yes. Reasonably

:52:42. > :52:55.firm, down his backhand. He is playing the hard shot. Going

:52:56. > :52:59.down, all that line. That is not going to come back. Two shots, Andy

:53:00. > :53:12.Thomson. APPLAUSE.

:53:13. > :53:23.Well, it is all over bar the admin, Andy Thomson just dropping one

:53:24. > :53:29.shot, he has been too strong. He is certainly not going to lose two

:53:30. > :53:34.fours. Every time he has got something in there, Andy has had the

:53:35. > :53:41.answers, you have to keep in there yourself. It has been a competitive

:53:42. > :53:47.set, the scoreline does not reflect the match, I do nothing. It is a

:53:48. > :53:53.little bit harsh on him, he has beat in the seed and came up against Andy

:53:54. > :53:58.Thomson, who was playing very well. He has got himself into it. He will

:53:59. > :54:01.have the appetite to try to be here again. Definitely, you always want

:54:02. > :56:03.to come back. Just one of those things. You do not

:56:04. > :56:06.played some good weighted shots in addition to those draw shots that he

:56:07. > :56:33.has played. The last bowl of the match. For Andy

:56:34. > :56:42.Thomson. There is one against him, there is no danger. If he makes four

:56:43. > :56:46.out of this, he will be putting some money on the lottery tonight, I

:56:47. > :56:50.think! It has been a great experience, David has got through

:56:51. > :56:58.one round, beating the seed and he will certainly want to come back.

:56:59. > :57:09.Andy Thomson will find his way to the quarterfinal of a Scottish

:57:10. > :57:12.international open with this 2-0 victory for David Richardson.

:57:13. > :57:20.APPLAUSE. Well, a very fine win for Andy

:57:21. > :57:25.Thomson and that rings us to the end of our coverage on BBC Two Scotland.

:57:26. > :57:28.He is through to the quarterfinals, Jonathan Russell against David

:57:29. > :57:33.Chesney. And Greg Harlow against Alex Marshall, on the highlights

:57:34. > :57:35.tonight and a complete the quarterfinal line-up tomorrow from

:57:36. > :57:39.1pm. Bye for now.