Day 1 - Highlights Bowls: Scottish International Open

When the air turns colder and the

trees change colour and the leaves

fall to the ground, Perth is a

beautiful city. But if you want a

change in temperature, a short walk

to the Dewars Centre is the place to

be because the worlds best bowlers

are there and they are turning up

the heat.

DRAMATIC MUSIC

hello and a very warm welcome to the

Dewars Centre in Perth for the first

day of our coverage of the

co-operative funeral care Scottish

International Open where we have

highlights of three matches and

stick around because they are all

fantastic. The action got under way

here on Saturday and here is how the

draw looked at the start. We knew

that Mervyn King was through and

Jonathan Ross was knocked out by

Perry Martin. Stewart Anderson went

out to Mike Stepney.

There were some surprises in the

bottom half, Jason Greenslade is out

but Robert Paxton, David Gourlay,

Mark Royal and Nick Brett are all

through to the second round. Let's

turn our attention to the first

match today which was at one

o'clock, Greg Harlow against Neil

Furman. From the US but learning to

play in South Africa, Neil Furman

plays out of the Laguna Beach indoor

club in San Diego and has won nine

national US titles. Consistent and

extremely impressive performances

from Greg Harlow have put him firmly

at world number one. And Harlow

started strongly, taking the first

two ends to build an early 3-0 lead

and we picked it up with commentary

from David Corkill and Paul

Mitchell.

COMMENTATOR: Greg Harlow delivers

with barely a whisper, a smooth

delivery.

The vast majority of the

top players all have very smooth and

relaxed and easy deliveries and it

is very rare you see one of them

have a bump. Ian Bond of course was

one of the few that has managed to

overcome that and be a top-ranked

player and he bumps every bowl but

it makes no difference if you do

that.

Ian Bond a former winner of

this tournament, winning it twice.

He has taken a rest from the tour

events, hopefully he will come back.

The good character and a really good

player.

That is better from Greg.

By his

standards the first two ends were a

bit loose but that is more like it.

I think it is just going to go past

but not much. A lot of people might

have think that Greg would have

played the forehand to try to turn

the jack in round the corner but on

the portable rink, if you get a

couple closed then you'd stay on

that hand. This needs to hurry a

bit. It would have been very useful

if it missed that bowl.

Enough to

put the pressure on his opponent. He

played in the beautiful surroundings

of Laguna Beach in San Diego.

of Laguna Beach in San Diego.

It is

trying its best to get there but the

difficulty for meal is that the

target bowls are protected by his

own Green one -- for Neil. He does

not have much in terms of playing

heavy to get out of trouble which is

a strength of his game but Greg can

concentrate on trying to put bowls

close to the jack. He is looking

good again for another shot. Just

wants to drift past and he has made

it. It was just a draw here and it's

not pretty because you try to make

sure you're reaching on the forehand

and it's just holds off. If you nip

it in a bit it will hook across very

quickly.

Ten seconds on the shot clock.

Is he

trying to hit this? He is.

He is

going to have to be fortunate here

to push something through.

Well...

The follow-through was the key to

that. Rather fortuitous to come

through onto the jack.

He gambled

there.

It is a strength of his to

play the weight shot, it is usually

something he is pretty accurate

with.

He was looking at being 7-0

down, 4-0 is bad enough.

STUDIO:

Harlow went on to win the next four

ends, shutting out Furman from the

first set to take it 9-0 and we

rejoin it with Furman leading 5-0

having taken the first four ends.

COMMENTATOR: All credit to Neil

Furman. The first set was one he

might want to forget about but he

has used it as a practice set and he

has come out very strong in the

second. The first bowl has had a

massive improvement.

Normally Greg would attack this on

the backhand and just play the two

bowls off but he has been very

conservative in this match.

He will

have to come the forehand.

It's got

a chance. A big chance for the jack.

Well... Unlucky really. He wanted to

move that green bowl further away.

Now, Neil, you have to go with the

forehand.

You can ignore the jack

here, it is the two red bowls he

wants to come into contact with.

He

played the previous one on the

forehand so he knows the line to

take.

It's not going to do much help

there. Greg Harlow with a little

turn of the green bowl away.

He is fighting it with the weight.

Did he just overplay it? No, he got

it.

Even less weight than what I

thought to be honest.

It is a

brilliant turnaround.

He stopped

halfway down the rink to look, he

had a feeling he had done it right

and he had.

Will you just draw it or

think about driving on the forehand?

Playing to disturb... Never gave it

a chance. I know that sounds harsh

but you could see almost immediately

he had started it too tight.

The

forehand drive gone wrong, losing

three and maybe four and all of a

sudden that lead disappears.

This is Greg Harlow for four. He has

kept it very wide, didn't want to

mess with the green bowls at the

front.

He has dropped its down, he

would normally have added that.

A

little miss but he is on the card

and back competitive in this second

set and it will be interesting to

see what Greg Harlow does with the

length of the white.

STUDIO: The

players traded singles in the next

two ends and we picked it up again

in the eighth with Furman winning

6-4.

COMMENTATOR: The winner of this

match will play Mervyn King and that

will be interesting.

Such a good,

steady player, Mervyn King.

He came through against Martin Head

of South Africa without too many

troubles.

Just under two feet.

Greg, a minimum of one required but

obviously we would like to make it

multiples. Having said that, even if

he scores a two, he still needs to

win the last end unless it is a no

score!

Just in case!

Just in case

anybody is thinking at home that

we're not quite right! There is

always that possibility.

And the

bowlers do like to be accurate.

Loose opening bowl from Neil Furman,

he needs to correct.

And he needs

help with this one, a big gap and

there it goes. Not a bad position,

though. But again, he doesn't want

to lose three or four.

That looked good as well from

backhand and round it comes once

more. -- from the hand.

Here comes the weight. Takes the

jack and it will go out and be on

the re-spot.

The bowls are being picked up and

now the jack will be picked up and

you will see where it is put because

it has gone off the side of the

rink.

It is one to green and that is

very beatable.

Greg knows he needs this one in

because he can't afford to drop

short on it.

Good enough.

The only thing about being short,

any tap of the jack makes a double.

It would make such a difference.

Neil Furman, final bowl of the end.

He has given a go at this and he's

not far away from the jack. He's got

it. He's middled it. What a

recovery! APPLAUSE

Barring disaster, this will go to a

tie-break because it is a four shot

lead going into the final end.

STUDIO: A single in the next end

gave Furman the second set and in

the tie-break Harlow took the first

end with Furman taking the second

and we join it for the third and

final end of this intriguing match.

COMMENTATOR: The last thing he wants

is something short and in the way.

In a tie-break situation like this,

this is the only end where you can

nominate to destroy the end and

Neil's driving has been key in this

match and the last thing he wanted

was to be down the rink.

Greg Harlow

knows this is a golden chance. He

can really put the pressure on. That

is a good opener, a really good

opener.

It could be very valuable,

touching the jack, it stopped him

going across the head a bit. Early

days but I have seen these being

hit, jack in the ditch.

That is

where he is going. He wants the

jack.

The bowl was the second

option. Greg will put it back. I

think Neil would have reckoned he

was very close to the jack there.

Some shot and he has also lifted the

touch off the rink and that will

take no further part -- the toucher.

There is the replacement, centre

rink is what he is looking for and

he does not want to drift. That is

an even narrower target.

The thought process, does he go

again, does he try to draw?

Controlled weight inside would not

do any harm. Once he gets inside his

own bowl with controlled weight he

is going to be very close to

something.

He has taken the time

out. That gives him an extra 60

seconds to think about this one.

It

is definitely worth playing inside,

in a tie-break you have to be

aggressive.

He is going for it again.

Just

missed the line.

If you are Greg

Harlow do you leave it alone and go

to the back?

He has got the last

bowl, I would leave it because he

has so much room, that if Neil is to

go again and gets the bowl, Greg

will easily draw with his last one.

I can see what he is thinking of.

He

is going to call time-out.

He wants

to put another one in, even

centreline. But then you're taking a

risk on Neil drawing the shot and

whilst the odds are against it, it

is always a possibility. Or the

alternative is to go deep so if the

jack does go in the ditch you still

lie.

It a thrilling end to the match.

It's a thinking game at this stage,

no doubt about that.

David Gourlay they're watching with

interest.

Off the forehand, very wide.

He is

covering both deep and the re-spot.

It is a default shot in many ways,

if you're not really quite sure

where the best position is with

regards to your opponent and what

they are going to play, go deep.

There is always the chance of the

bowl going on to the jack and

running through.

Time-out called.

It's a good point, it's hard to go

back to a drawing quake having two

drives.

I think he will go for it

again.

-- drawing weight.

I would

try to get to the jack clean.

It is about big moments and big

shots and this is a big moment. Can

Neil Furman find the big shot

required?

Is he too wide? It looks

wide to me. I think Greg has managed

to get through this one.

Greg Harlow

has survived and I don't think that

is being unkind, survived an

exceptionally good second set from

Neil Furman who played a very good

tie-break. The defending champion

gets his way past the American, Neil

Furman.

gets his way past the American, Neil

Furman.

That is a relieved Greg

Harlow with me now. That was hard

work but you are through.

Absolutely, I started well in the

first step and played well and Neil

came back really strong and deserves

the second set and it is matchplay

bowls, obviously tie-breaks can go

either way and fortunately I could

scrape through today.

A tough game

but that first set in particular he

was flying away from you but you got

your line and length sorted in the

second.

I started off a bit scrappy

and Greg was hot right from the go

and I realised after about five or

six ends that the set was gone so I

try to calm down for the second set.

And the tie-break is anyone's going.

I put myself under pressure in the

third end by dropping a short bowl

and could not see a clean jack, he

played two really good shots when I

took the one out. He played very

well and he is very hard to beat.

That was a really good win for Greg

Harlow who was in the final here

last year against Paul Foster who

was also in action today, this time

against Chris Gale. Chris played out

of the Heaton Park club in

Manchester and was relishing the

prospect of going toe to toe with

the current world champion but the

Englishman was carrying an injured

leg is at the match was even

tougher. Having not been at the top

six in the world for the past 16

years, that tells you all you need

to know about Paul Foster, strong

and tenacious and fiercely

competitive. We join it in the

fourth end with leading 2-1.

COMMENTATOR: They met in round one

last season and Paul Foster

triumphed. The first set did not

take too long, seven ends but the

second set, eight ends, 7-3. Chris

Gale is a very, very good player. He

played in a lot of competitions. He

is an international standard player,

plays a lot of qualifiers and goes

over to Belfast on a regular basis

to play in them as well.

He is all over it. APPLAUSE

Great correction.

A very calm player, Chris Gale. When

you are playing a world champion,

you have got to try to stay calm and

play your shots and at the moment he

is lying one.

He is worried he is going to touch

this away and you could see it early

and he might well have done.

One

green.

It's just held on. He put his

hand out very early, realising that

he was going to play onto his own.

Paul Foster on the back and looking

for a little touch on the jack. It's

not going to get there.

Just six

inches away from the perfect bowl.

Not really a spare shot opportunity,

however, if he comes off the red he

could tuck the jack around the

corner and make a three. Just needs

to get into the split between the

red and the jack. Well played.

Brilliant straw. -- brilliant draw.

Some players might have left it

alone but he had confidence. And

beautifully done.

It was a good shot

and not easy but certainly the right

shot to play.

A good start for Chris

Gale. He plays out of Blackpool,

Newton Hall.

It will be interesting, given the

injury that he has had, once all is

healed and well, whether his

football career will come to a halt.

LAUGHTER

I think maybe Korea is a bit

generous, Paul! But he is out there

kicking the ball, and that's great.

It counts as a career! It doesn't

matter if you make it at the top

level.

I think he might have to have

serious thoughts about giving it up,

you know. It's hard enough to take

one Paul Foster when you are fully

fit. But it's a monumental task. So,

he's doing well.

Chris Gale's club hosted an

international open. He was always a

difficult competitor when he

qualifies for that.

And adjustment has been made.

APPLAUSE

A snap of the fingers.

Yes.

He knows

there's something... I don't think

the line is too bad.

Well, it's not

a bad thing when you know from the

mat...

It is either that or he was

just over the line from the yard

shot. He was attempting to move the

jack. He was certainly in a good

position to do that.

APPLAUSE

He will be looking for that ball

just to drop. It could be two

anyway.

Three inches past jack with

a gap of three inches.

It looked a better line. Of, he just

got the wrong side. I was going to

say it might just hold up, but his

own green ballpoints back under the

red and tapped them out. Definite

two, possible three he could lose in

this end.

Paul Foster felt he was on the same

line and wanted the results.

APPLAUSE

He had his hand held out there, but

it still looked good all the way.

He

probably thought it was not coming

back. But in it came. And it is a

three for the Scot.

Well, no mercy

in that one. Foster used the

momentum, winning the next three

ends and taking the first set 9-4.

He continued to turn the screw in

the second set. When we rejoin it,

he has a 4-1 lead going into end

five.

And the problems sometimes can be

that you can throw yourself of your

weight. -- yourself off your weight.

Decent start, though.

Yes, you know,

if you are two or three yards

through, Paul Foster turns his back

on that.

He's not doing bad, though.

The green ball is two feed. Paul is

just inside that. -- two feed.

It look so pretty generous two feet

though.

It certainly does.

Yes, the white marker that was on

your screen just disappears a metre

away from the jack and the Red Bull,

it must have been in the middle of

it. -- and the red ball.

Turned the ball over. Not quite.

It has just slid the green ball

enough to make it second.

He'd like to add a little bit of

pressure here by joining another.

It's good enough.

APPLAUSE

Close for the third one, that would

suggest. Paul Foster is having a

real good look at it.

The ball is

now moved back, there is now three

red. The white indicating a time-out

--

indicating a time-out. It's worth

another look.

Chris has three

time-outs remaining.

The time-out

call. I was thinking, take the time.

But he has potentially three against

him the.

They are driving the

backhand. Trying to take something

out, seeing what results you can

get. It's not the best result, is

it?

No, it's not. It could still be

two red with a ball to play, it

depends.

It's one of the days where

I don't think it's a toucher, that

will go. The jack has been moved.

Two red and a mountain of room for

Paul Foster to draw another. So it's

going to be three red, 7-1.

I think

even Paul Mitchell could draw that.

Let's not stress the point, I don't

think, Paul!

We have to keep our

skills are pit stop your absolutely!

We are going to be down there soon

enough. If somebody gives you five

yards to draw, I'd like to think I

could do it. I'm not sure I could

always do so. But Paul Foster, as I

said, absolutely no problem. Now,

that's a big swig of the match, Paul

Foster really in control. And that

was good enough to give foster an

unassailable lead, eventually taking

the match 9-4, 8-3. Paul, the three

threes good, good to get the play

out of the way?

I know Chris is a

good player, but there is a lot of

pressure on the first round match.

You hope that you play well enough

to get through the first round

match.

Chris, I know you were not a

man to make excuses, but how tough

is it playing with a dodgy leg?

It

is tough at the best of times

playing ball, but with a dodgy leg

it is even harder. The white Paul

Foster, such a great player on the

portable

rink, but he's pretty good

outside

portable

rink, but he's pretty good

outside as well on the grass. He has

won so many medals, often with his

good friend, Alex Marshall. He was

in action here today as well pretty

tricky customer, David Bolt. A fine

player inside and out, David won his

first national singles title in

2011, the same year he joined

first national singles title in

2011, the same year he joined the

English senior international team.

Alex Marshall is quite simply the

best that has ever been on the

portable rink. When it really

matters at the World Championships,

Alex has lifted

matters at the World Championships,

Alex has lifted the Trophy seven

times, more than any other bowl.

Marshall got off to a great start

with a full house in the second end,

and stormed into an early 4-1 lead.

The two players traded singles over

the next four ends. We join it in

the second end with Marshall leading

6-3.

The venue here in Perth is built

over the drinks of the indoor club

here in Perth. All very carefully

looked after and protected.

It's all part of the game, to

overcome the difficulties on the

brink. That's where the vast

experience of the top-ranked players

come into play -- difficulties on

the brink.

It's perfect.

APPLAUSE

One red. There is a slight gap.

Just got a chance with this one.

Beautifully inside the red one, just

cutting.

Good ball, squeezes the

jack, that's where it's going.

It is

six inches short of jack Hite.

Wouldn't like that much, but he's

got to be careful about the wait to

come off it. He would prefer it to

be six inches through the jack. --

the weak to come off it. -- for

weight.

Might just falls a little bit more

weight. -- just force.

A weighted shot.

He's going under,

but he might get a result of his

own. Oh, no! That's horrible. That

is a shocking result, absolutely

shocking. It really is. Dear, oh

dear. I can understand him taking

one out, but it was very unlucky for

everything to disappear.

Watch this,

green on to green, and he didn't

even touch the red ball at the

front. He does have one ball to

play, but it will be four against

him when he comes to play it. That

was like these old trick snooker

shots that John Virgo used to do,

I'm going to do this, this and this

and I'm going to leave, you know...

Almost impossible. But not quite.

APPLAUSE

As you would expect from Alex,

absolutely no mercy. At this stage,

at 6-3 in the southern end, he has

to go for this. You know, it's so

hard to join in, even for third

ball, surely he has to run at it --

in the seventh end. In it goes.

Played it.

Oh, and played it well.

Toucher in the ditch, green ball at

the back. He's going to lift up a

couple here.

The eight a massive

Paul!

Well, that is certainly among

the shots of the days ago the eight

ball, a massive Paul! He was all but

out of the set, trusted to drive.

And a good result.

Bolt won the next

end, which made it 6-6, as we head

back for the last end of the first

set.

APPLAUSE

It is three inches past. Three

inches past.

He usually prefers the backhand

going in this direction, but he

knows that at three inches past,

well, it's his choice, bowl or jack.

A bit of work to do to get back to

the jack.

It was a brave shot. Early

in the rink. Giving it a go. And he

stayed on, which is to his benefit

as well.

So you're playing this end almost

like a tie-break and -- end. It

doesn't matter if you lose four,

just get one. That's all that you

want. He'll get back to the draw

now. And his favourite backhand as

well.

This is an important bowl, it could

put all of the pressure back on to

David Bolt.

He has played it well.

One red.

He has to find another good one.

A lot of work to do to get back from

that line. It just didn't look

right. It wasn't too far-away,

actually.

Eight inches short of the

jacks, and the gap is six.

Half

awake, and it might have carried.

Alex Marshall, his opponent has want

to play once this comes to a rest.

-- has one to play.

Two red.

Well,

it is certainly worth arriving down

at it.

18 inches short of jack Hite.

It is a deep Greg ball. He has to

give this a chance to get into his

own. Slightly different line this

time. Definitely on the inside. He

has got a chance of getting his own

ball over, coming off at an angle.

Could take the prize with him. Not

an easy shot to play, that one.

That's a great ball. In he came.

That's a hard shot, it really is a

hard shot. But it is a set live

against Alex Marshall. And it's not

a given in this one -- it is a set

lie against Alex Marshall. This is

tough. A smooth delivery of Alex

Marshall. It has never changed.

It

starts to work back now. Just not

coming in.

It just didn't break.

Two

shots in the first set to David

Bolt.

Well, David Bowie takes the

set. I think Alex Marshall expected

that to break up and faster than it

did -- David Galt. He built an early

three shot lead in the second, but

Marshall fought back with seven

shots in the space of three ends.

When we rejoin committee is leading

8-4 going into the eighth end. --

when we rejoin, he is leading.

He has certainly found the road down

with this one.

APPLAUSE

Wants to take it with him.

APPLAUSE

One of these situations that looks

awful from the mat, but Alex

Marshall knows there's space there.

Oh, there's a chance now.

Any sort of chance where he has to

score a double.

One shot would be enough for Alex.

To take the set, going into the

tie-break.

Made the adjustments.

APPLAUSE

A really good bowl and a lot of

pressure. -- under a lot of

pressure.

4.5 inches under jack

Hite. One down.

He is asking a lot for this to get

back.

And there is the ball falling as

well.

Alex Marshall has got three

time-outs left available to him. He

won't need one here.

Looking to play this wide. Cover

every spot just in case.

Well, even

going deeper than that, Paul.

Because the front plant is pushing

the jack all the way through with

the touching green ball. Now, for

that ball to continue all the way

with it I think it might have to be

a bit fortunate, but it's well worth

the effort. There's no backhand for

now. -- no backhand draw now.

Again, a time-out will be called.

David has three time-outs remaining.

If he's looking at this the way I

think you should be, he should be

looking at hitting that ball. The

green ball will go through and the

jack will move, but the back red one

that the jack has played, that could

be sufficient to stop everything. It

was a clever ball. That's what he's

looking for. He's looking for the

front plant.

Oh, dear!

Well, you don't see it

often, but it does happen. It's two

shots to Alex Marshall. Into the

tie-break, then. Marshall won the

first end in the best-of-3.

APPLAUSE

Well, will Alex take the risk of

running the ball? Not if he's on the

backhand, you won't. Just drawing

it.

He has backed himself on that

backhand all afternoon. But that

looked a little lazy.

Two inches.

The question is, does he have a go?

He has to go now. Just try and clear

things up a bit.

Very close, got a chance.

APPLAUSE

The touch-up went in the ditch, but

Alex's ball has rolled on, and it's

also a Tuchel. The question is, who

is lining the shot? -- also a

toucher.

Struck it well, got the

jack, that's why it is a toucher. I

think he has...

It's not going to be

easy to beat, this one. That is why

David is an beforehand. Having said

that, the backhand does hold a lot.

He's going to have two encourage

this one to be up.

That looks lazy.

Puts the ball down, reset, restart.

Plenty of time on the clock. It's

now down to seven. Time-out called.

There's something catching. There is

something catching Alex Marshall's

I. -- Alex Marshall's I.

So, Alex Marshall, he just takes his

time. It's a key moment. He has

lined the shot.

That's what I was

saying about this backhand, earlier

in the game Alex played it wide and

it didn't come back. So there is a

Cole there. He knows he can get to

it. -- a hole. He knows he's played

this one well. He has to follow

that. I think when you can afford

the risk of the forehand.

Your last

bowl is nearly two feet, two yards,

sorry.

Well, this line has to be so

good. He has to miss a lot of debris

at the front. He has certainly

pushed this one, no doubt about

that. It is his own bowl I'm

thinking of.

That looked like he'd

played that far too heavy.

APPLAUSE

Alex Marshall comes through the

tie-break. And it was a particularly

entertaining game. And David Bolt

gave it all. Alex Marshall lifting

the jack into the ditch was the key

in the tie-break. And Alex Marshall

goes through by 2-1.

Alex, I would

imagine after that you will be very

happy to be through?

Definitely. You

know, the first set I dominated it a

lot of times. I think it was the

second last in the first set, I

should never have been near as

close, I was trying to be two feet,

two yard behind, I set it up nice to

David, and credit to him.

He played

very well at the start but you were

playing well as well. You took eight

of the first 11 ends in the match,

you played remarkably well.

That

surprises us to be honest because I

thought I was a little bit in and

out for the first good two thirds of

the first set. I was continually

just putting a little bit tight, but

obviously just trying to hang in

with Alex. Maybe the last three ends

of the first set I started to string

a few bones together and put Alex

and others but of pressure.

Tatty

through, and the second round looks

like this.

So, today here at the Dewars Centre

we have seen some wonderful play and

wonderful shots. But which one is

the best? Here is corky to tell us.

My shot of the day comes from the

match Alex Marshall and David Bull.

It was a good game, but Alex

Marshall was in control in the first

set. He was 6-3 up and for shots, a

set of effectively, and we were in a

situation when David Bolt had one

ball left and he had to make this

short work of the ways the first set

was gone. Let's see what happens. --

otherwise the first set was gone. On

beforehand, full outdrive, it -- on

beforehand, a full outdrive. The

torture goes in, the Red ball

disappears, and David Galt had a

green ball back there. He scores a

double, that takes him to 6-5, and

then of course he went on and won

the first set, guaranteed a

tie-break against the six times

world champion. And that's why it

was my shot of the day.

We will be

back for the second-round action on

BBC Two Scotland. It all gets

underway at 1pm tomorrow. Please

join us for that if you can. If

today is anything to go by, it's

going to be another wonderful day.

The meantime, from all of us here at

the Dewars Centre impasse,