Quarter-finals - Highlights Bowls: Scottish International Open

MUSIC.

Hello, a warm welcome to Perth, the

backdrop for the Scottish

International Open where the best of

the best are now in the

quarterfinals. In our first game,

England's Les Gillett, the slayer of

six time world champion Alex

Marshall does battle with Darren

Burnett. Familiar faces in the final

eight, but new blood, also. Jamie

Chestney will seek to claim his

first Scottish title and he has the

reigning world champion Paul Foster

in his way. Others will look to

capture former glory. Mervyn King

knows about winning. It has been

awhile since he picked up any

titles. Michael Stepney is aiming to

start his collection for his trophy

cabinet. It is all to play for as we

notch up a gear in the race to

become Scottish International Open

champion, 2017. This is the way the

quarterfinals lined up at the start

of play. David Gourlay facing Nick

Brett and Les Gillett against Darren

Burnett. Jamie Chestney had to face

Paul Foster King up against the

qualifier Michael Stepney. What are

the added spices? You probably

noticed every single one was

Scotland against England. Let's go

to the first one, Darren Burnett

against Les Gillett. When you knock

the six time world champion out of

the competition you know you want

doing something right as Les Gillett

did to Alex Marshall yesterday. One

of the most consistent bowlers in

the world, Darren Burnett has grown

in confidence all week. Deadly with

the draw and equally incisive when

weight is required. We will join the

match in the eighth

weight is required. We will join the

match in the eighth end in the first

set.

APPLAUSE

COMMENTATOR: Neither will want to

take too many risks in this end and

having said that the jack highball,

tempting to run the bowl, or the

jack. -- high bowl. He is watching

it, it must be close. Oh, very

nearly the maximum. Toucher in the

ditch, that will be marked, it will

stay alive. The jack will go on the

re-spot.

Two red is fairly

inconsequential.

Interesting choice for Darren to

come across it. A lot of players

have played the opposite side.

He is

playing here is backhand. It is a

longer length. He can play across

his body slightly and hold the bowl

up a long time before the bias takes

effect.

It is only breaking now.

Yes, he secured the shot.

That looks a lot wider.

I think it is fair to say it came

out the wrong way. He did not like

it from the second it left his hand.

He has the advantage of having a

bowl to play.

If that had been his last it would

be a simple draw in for two.

He is even wider and now it breaks.

Good weight in behind the jack is

the perfect bowl. I think Darren

will go for this. We has a chance of

the two going out. And a gap, as

well.

He has a double shot available. What

he is really looking for, just as he

was putting his foot down, I was

going there. He is obviously

thinking the way I am and that is

always a good sign. Take the two out

and you end up in a situation where

this bowl here will come into play

and also, the one over here, that

will come into play. If he plays it

right, he has a chance of getting

two shots out of it and the angle is

good.

This is very much a Darren Burnett

type of shot.

Firm weight, watches

it all the way.

What a result. He

was on the wrong side of the bowl.

Dear, oh dear. The crowd may be

clapping, but, well...

From his

opponent's point of view, it is the

one shot. Always the opening bowls

set the tone.

I think he got a bit of that last

end. Yes. You cannot go there all

the time.

Les Gillett does not like this

either.

Just a little bit over.

Still, better there.

These players have such high

expectations of themselves, they

know what they are capable of.

A correction made. Almost two feet

past jack high.

Looks like he has

covered the jack.

He has been playing so well, nothing

will faze him. And why should it? A

super shot, no doubt. Sitting on the

edge in terms of the backhand.

Darren can get to it. It just

sneaked itself down. On the drop.

Darren will be aiming for that.

He is watching this. He knows he is

close. A touch on his own. One red.

You almost feel it would not be a

bad result to draw on this set

because they have both contributed

to a super game and played great

stuff. It would be unfortunate if

one of them lost it with all their

efforts.

Time-out called.

It still looks difficult. Les will

do well to get to jack high, maybe

two feet away. Certainly do not want

to be any closer.

Time-out taken. He

is very wide. Rightly so.

Still has a bowl to come.

Always

useful to have one, just in case. I

cannot imagine Darren going to heavy

at this because he has no position.

He might try and slide his own bowl

across the rink an inch or so, that

might be enough.

No heroics involved

or he could give the set away.

Drawn the forehand. It did not

really matter which side.

It is going to fall short. An

intriguing situation here for Les,

because it is very dangerous, if he

wants to try to add another. Well,

there you go. That is interesting.

Prepared not to go for it. That is

how dangerous it was.

The opening

set is shared between these two fine

players.

STUDIO: Into the second set. Burnett

needs as we return for the fourth

end.

-- Burnett leads.

A good opening bowl from Darren

Burnett. Not seen too many of his

openers right on the jack.

This is

close, as well.

In many ways it proves the longevity

of some of these players. Darren

winning in 2001. He has been around

a long time. To have the ability to

win back then. Les Gillett won the

International Open in 1997. 20 years

ago. He is still about.

Still

playing top class bowls. He fell out

of the top 16, found his way back

in. What amazes me sometimes is not

the players have to keep it up such

a long period of.

Absolutely. Les,

red on a fine line to holes that. --

to hold it. Not much.

Is that jack moving? If you touch

your own bowl. If it does, you have

a slight problem. If it is a clean

bowl passed the jack, then it is

just sitting perfect.

Have you got the weight this time? A

lack of weight.

Wide line. Again, Darren does not

want to hit his own bowl too hard.

The jack will come out into the

open. He has probably made one more

shot. He wanted to hit it just a

little bit further. He has offered

up a target Les will come right at

it.

He wanted it to be firmer to lay

the jack behind the two green bowls.

I was more concerned about him

hitting it four feet away, not too

hard, but that was not hard enough

and Les will definitely come into

this. I do not think he can take his

own bowl out without taking others.

So pick your hand, pick your weight.

The odds are on the backhand.

Bending very quickly. That went

fast. Wow. Hard to believe you

missed the target.

If you caught the

edge, it could have been worse.

He

was definitely down the wrong side.

He wanted to be on the high side.

STUDIO: Burnett continued to turn

the screw, picking up five more

shots for a 10-2 lead with two to

play and in a hopeless position

Gillett elected to put his bowl into

the ditch and concede the match.

Congratulations. Some great play.

The first set was scratchy. I think

the draw was a fair result and kept

as both in the match. I just did

enough in the second set.

It was

quite a game because in the first

set you were both playing great

shots and both losing your way a bit

but exciting to watch.

Like Darren

said, it could have gone either way.

I hope to for two on the last end in

the first set. In hindsight, should

I have gone for two? May be. He put

me under pressure and I tended to

use the green a yard short. I do not

know why.

Darren punish me and all

credit to him. If you have the first

bowl, stick it on the jack, your

opponent will always be in trouble.

That disappointed me first set. The

only pleasing thing I can take out

of the game is I need to get the

first two bowls working.

Who else

would go through? Nicky Brett, a

former winner here, faced off

against David Gourlay. They had met

each other nine times previously

with Brett heading head-to-head 5-4.

Gourlay took a tight first set. The

world number two came out firing in

the second set. Three dice draws on

the third gave him an early

advantage. Brett is a two-time

winner of the tournament, first

taking it in 2013 and again the

following year while Gourlay's best

result was runner-up in 2006.

Gourlay kept in touch for a crucial

single. Six of the previous eight

meetings have gone to three sets and

by now Brett was full of confidence

and the seventh end, he took on this

draw with his final shot, taking the

match into a tie-break. Gourlay took

the first end and with his last of

the next he played this runner,

barely skimming the jack, but moving

it enough to have match lie. It left

Brett needing something special with

this final bowl.

But it was not to be and the jack

was re-spotted and Gourlay have the

shot and a place in the semifinal,

the furthest he has made it in this

competition since 2010. David

Gourlay will play Darren Burnett in

one of the semifinals, but who will

play in the other? Paul Foster and

Jamie Chestney went toe to toe. From

the outside looking in, Jamie

Chestney winning the International

Open was something of a surprise but

for those in the know, anything but.

Picking up trophies is something

Paul Foster does with alarming

regularity, 16 times winning on the

World Bowls Tour. We join this in

the six end of the first set. The

score, 5-3.

COMMENTATOR: Another one in, that is

the pressure.

Jamie might have a pop at this. The

two bowls will go.

Yes, weight shot.

That is going to make it

interesting.

It opens things up.

To

the edge of the ditch.

Both players

will see a mark as to where the jack

is and that is where you have to

then go.

A nice wide line. Coming back, it

needs to stay on. A perfect bowl.

What a shot from Paul Foster. Jamie

Chestney has no choice but to try to

draw with this one. He cannot afford

to rest it off because there is

another green bowl down the rink.

That is two shots, so that has been

disposed of.

It is such a hard shot,

playing right to the edge of the

ditch.

He has also marginally

protected the green bowl. This

really looks like it is there. Paul

Foster needing to tap the break. And

he has. Wow. He permits himself a

little smile. That is so difficult

to do, but that is a man at the top

of his form.

He is going to play them off if he

can. It is a hard shot, he did not

want to lift his own out.

That was

the problem, he will give Paul

Foster another shot.

It will be a

third shot because the green bowl in

the picture will count. Paul Foster

gets three shots and the lead.

STUDIO: Jamie Chestney took a single

to make it 6-6 with two to play.

COMMENTATOR: It is hard to pick a

winner of this set, given the way

they are both playing.

Just thinking back to the last end

when Paul Foster put a position bowl

in and he knows exactly the way

Jamie blaze. He knew he would go for

that, even though it was dangerous.

-- Jamie plays. He was prepared to

lose one, maybe even two.

That is excellent again. It widens

the target, which might make Paul

Foster have a go.

Well, it is two

bowls wide. Two bowls will go. The

jack can go anywhere but it is worth

moving into it now. A lot of drives

have been missed.

Another one. Paul

Foster knew when that was down it

would not what he wanted.

A lot of drives miss and controlled

weight s missed. Some have been off

target and managed to get results.

It is hard enough to play that shot.

He is committing himself.

Trusting

himself. He is going under again.

Well, Jamie is weighing this up. The

logical shop would suggest he comes

and covers the green bowls, just in

case. -- the logical shot.

He can

cover green and the re-spot at the

same time. It is just whether he

wants to play it or not. He is

certainly wider.

He is more or less putting the bowl

back again. That is three shots. He

is not even covering anything

really, he has just drawn another

shot.

Interesting.

He is taking a

risk and saying, Paul, if you get

it, you get it. This will be quick.

That is as fast as we have seen this

week, and scatters absolutely

everything. There is not a bowl on

the rink. I can't remember that, I

really cannot remember that in all

the events where everything has gone

off.

Absolutely unique, once more,

from Paul Foster. Well, he splits

jacks, knocks things off the rink.

That is the first no score end I can

remember, and both players smile.

What a shot from Paul Foster.

He does manage to create some very

interesting situations, Paul Foster.

Well played, Jamie Chestney. Great

opening bowl.

This is now a big end for both

players. The set at stake. This will

be played like a tie-break end. And

that is basically saying, hit me.

It

definitely is.

Jamie Chestney has

put Paul Foster under considerable

pressure in this set.

It has been

fabulous. He liked that. It just

went the wrong side.

He has kept his

own bowl on the rink, which is fine.

But he knows that it's a 1-shot

situation. So it doesn't matter if

he loses two, three, or four.

You just try to see what will give

you the best chance of success.

If

you are lying two, you go deep just

in case he goes again. The trouble

with Paul Foster is that he could

just play this draw the shot. I

don't think he will, because he the

last bowl. I think he needs a bit

more space, so he wants to open it

up.

Oh, it stuck to the bowl. But he has

opened it up and that is very

beatable on the draw.

That was what

he wanted, to give himself a chance

with his last bowl, and he has done

so. Jammed the red bowl across.

This

has been a great match.

Jamie is aware of the fact that he

needs a close-up bowl. Well, it is a

bit closer. Paul will try to draw

this clean.

He has played five heavy

bowls in his last seven. This, for

the set.

He is certainly wide enough. If he

has good weight, he will come back.

Paul Foster, for the set. There is a

reason why he is world champion, and

that is the reason. A stunning set

of bowls, ended with a drive and the

draw. And Paul Foster, the narrowest

of margins. Put it out beautifully,

judged the weight, and takes the

first set of his quarterfinal tie.

STUDIO: The high-quality bowls

continued into the second set. We

head back for the eighth end.

COMMENTATOR: Both players desperate

to score at this end, with

ramifications for the final end.

Paul Foster can afford a tide set.

Just tucked it around the corner

little bit. Still a good bowl. Just

may get that little bit harder.

Paul

has changed to the backhand.

Once again, he is in the area. He

has picked up the jack. Goodness me!

That is a great bowl, that really

years. Four bowls, at this stage in

the match, to play them like that,

it is just hot stuff from both

players.

Played it beautifully, got

the contact he wanted.

He might have

to play down at this, front plant.

The danger is that it is a toucher.

That front plant has a toucher, so

he can't afford to play too much to

it.

Oh, no! Not the jack!

Dear, oh dear!

This is fantastic! Very unlucky.

Very, very unlucky. But he still has

a bowl to play. It was the falling

back that caused the problem.

REFEREE:

Thank you, ladies and in

common, quiet please. -- ladies and

gentlemen.

Goodness me, this is a very tight

head. Just looking to get to the two

green bowls and drop back. Just

over. The weight was very good,

perfect in fact. I wonder whether

Paul Foster will play this or not.

If he wants to play it, it is very

much available. Green bowl on to

read, the jack should move but it

will come to him. That is sweet, the

wait is sitting. -- the way it is

sitting. He is playing for it.

He has got it.

What a bowl. He

watched it all the way and he knew

it was going to get a result, but

what a result. Connection on the

front green to nip out the red. Well

played.

You could see at a mile off,

but in the context of the match that

was incredibly important.

Time-out

called by Jamie Chestney. He has to

think about this. He has the best

back position.

He just got the edge. What an

effort!

This has been outstanding.

It has been a quarterfinal being

played at the standard of a final.

The problem for Jamie Chestney is he

needs a double.

Good start, don't

leave anything short, give yourself

the chance.

The way he has played

today, it has taken the world

champion to be in absolutely

brilliant form to stay with him.

Nearly there.

He needed to pick up the jack. He

can't afford to draw this cold,

because he needs more than one. That

weight is perfect for the job.

Foster does not like this.

Well, it is best back bowl, the only

problem being, he was not looking

for best back bowl. Well, it is

engrossing.

This match has whizzed

through. It has been such high

quality.

The little tap of the back foot

usually means he is close.

Again, the wait is perfect for what

he once. He knows he can't afford to

nip that line, it will dive across.

But it is a match lie against, at

the moment.

Paul Foster's got the

back position covered. And both

sides are no good. If we look at the

recent pop position, that really

doesn't work for Jamie. Nor does

that. So what does Paul Foster do?

The perfect shot, the absolute

perfect shot for Paul Foster, would

be to draw on the forehand, his

forehand, and drop in here, if he

can. That way, any Trail of the

jack, he could get the shot. He

could play it on the backhand as

well. It is available both sides. He

is on his favourite backhand for it.

He wants something to drop behind

the jack and stop that Trail. He is

very close.

That is in a very, very

useful place.

Either side of that

red bowl was going to be very, very

handy. In front of it would have

been perfect. What has Jamie got

available? Nothing on the forehand.

The jack, re-spot position? Hard to

tell.

Little Trail of the backhand

and bring your second one out. It is

hard, though.

The trouble is,

playing with the weight ball, coming

into there, what you want to do is

get the jack over here. If it goes

over to re-spot, with more weight,

those two red bowls might come into

play. Either way, it has to be a

slightly overweight shot on the

backhand. He looks like he's going

strong.

Something put him off, so they will

stop the clock.

It's only for a few

seconds, but they need to get their

breath.

It's not enough. What an effort. But

Jamie Chestney is unable to defeat

the world champion. He gave it his

absolute all. Consolation, hand on

the shoulder from Paul Foster. But

it is Paul Foster who goes through

to the semifinal.

What a match that

was, incredible shots from both

players. You must be happy to get

through.

To be honest, I said when

we shook hands, I think I stole it.

He out drew me most of the game, his

runners were good and mine were

struggling. I had a lot of good ends

but I did not play as well as I have

in the last couple of days. Luckily

enough, I managed to get over the

line.

I think our commentators said

that on another day, if you played

as well as that you would not only

beat Paul Foster, you might win a

tournament. But you were up against

a guy today who was doing the

conversion shots. But you played so

well.

I feel gutted, in all honesty.

I did not feel I could play the last

couple of ends of the first set any

better. But that is no disrespect to

Paul, because he played two great

bowls with the drive and then the

draw. I don't feel he stole it, he

played great as well. I can't be

disappointed with my disappoint --

with my performance, but that is how

it goes.

You have to feel for him.

Paul Foster was just that little bit

better. But who will he face in the

semifinal? Mervyn King or Michael

Stepney? A former winner of the

British Isles singles title, Michael

Stepney has represented his country

on the international stage 27 times.

The last time Mervyn King took a

singles title on the pro tour was

here in Perth in 2010, but don't let

that gap for you, he is a master of

the draw game. As we join the first

set, Stepney has a 5- for lead,

going into the eighth end.

Michael Stepney, unseeded wild card

entry into the tournament. He

that

is based on previous performances.

Obviously, the local man helps, too.

But he is more than justified for

the wild card selection. We noticed

him play against Andersen and I was

thinking, that is a very tough draw

for Stewart Anderson, on a wild

card.

Stewart Anderson on the tie-break in

round one.

Michael played one of the best bowls

of the event to win that match,

forehand of the centre of the rink

in towards the re-spot position,

took out Stewart Anderson's bowls

clean as a whistle. It is

top-quality, this, no doubt about

it. Some very good bowling.

That dropped in probably about 12,

maybe 13 inches behind the jack, and

not a murmur.

Tough crowd!

Expectations are high, it is fair to

say.

Mervyn, running for cover.

Choices here. He needs a little tap

on the bowl on the backhand to move

the jack. A tap on the jack on the

forehand, or rest the bowl off for a

double. Can't afford to be too

heavy, or it will scamper through.

Just over the wait. He was tapping

his leg on the way down the rink.

Such a difficult shot to play.

Both

players have one still to play.

Mervyn King does not want to disturb

it. Nor does he want to leave it to

chance that his opponent won't play.

The first time out taken by Mervyn

King.

What he is worried about is

this area. The re-spot position,

which is over here, is not really a

concern at the moment. But the jack

could end up that way if Michael

goes heavy at it. He wants to split

into that area of three green bowls.

That's not bad. He's come across a

little too far in my opinion. He

really wanted to be about a foot

wider than that, because Michael is

looking at the re-spots.

The drives, well, if he drives that

and the jack goes out, I think the

problem for the drive for Michael is

that if he hits into this bowl, his

own two green bowls will disappear,

the jack will go on the re-spot and

he could easily be a couple down. At

the moment, he is only one, so he

has to think about this. One is not

a disaster.

Well, he went for it. He has got a

good result. He got the plant. He

did not want the bowl on the inside,

because it would have taken his two

out, but the plant might be

profitable. It looks like a shot.

It

could be two.

It is two.

Good shot.

STUDIO: Stepney went on to take the

first set. When we rejoin it in the

second set, he is trailing 6-5 going

into the eighth end.

Well, Michael, if it is one shot

here, it will be a one end shoot out

for the set, for Mervyn, and for the

match for Michael.

He would love to get a double,

though. That's a good bowl.

REFEREE:

Your bowl, 18 inches.

Well, that is not where you want to

be because you might be thinking

about a running bowl. You can see by

Mervyn's face. Oh, no, that is not

going to help if I had to attack it.

And at the moment, that is quite

likely.

That's another good shot. The

pressure is well and truly on now.

And even someone with the skill of

Mervyn King, to try and draw his way

out of trouble this time is going to

be very hard. It really is. The

trouble is, a running bowl, with his

front one, does not help either.

Hence why he is playing to try and

draw it.

Desperately trying to come round.

That just locks Michael's bowl in

even more. I'm not sure Michael can

do an awful lot with this. He has to

make a decision whether he wants to

play it again. He is lying three.

Mervyn would need a three in the

next end. Maybe he will try and draw

another one.

There's only one thing important, to

make centre rink. He does not want

to leave and hedge. Oh, he has left

a shoulder. Well, it is not bad

because it is just behind the jack,

but it is not where he wanted it.

That is why I always think, and we

have seen this before in other

matches, be very careful about being

greedy about things, because that

just makes it so much better for

Mervyn.

He knows it, too. He does

not want to watch, but he will.

Mervyn King, a big recovery bowl

required.

Inside the line, looking

to use the shoulder. He has taken

his own closest away. It is for

macro shots. So close to getting it

right. But Michael played the bowls

to put him in trouble. I think he

got away with that last one.

He has,

because Mervyn King did not strike

it the way he wanted.

The Scottish

train keeps moving forwards.

A

turnaround for Stepney, and he went

on to seal the set 10-6 in the final

end, the first unseeded player to

make the semis since Robert Paxton

seven years ago.

A fantastic performance from Michael

Stepney, the wild card, who has

knocked out big names along the way,

including Mervyn King, despite

valiant efforts. Congratulations.

Thank you. I thought I played even

better today than in the other

games, and I knew I had to get the

bowls pretty close. I did that quite

a lot in the game against Mervyn.

I

guess that is the thing on the

portable rink, Mervyn, the early

bowls and putting pressure on is so

important.

Definitely. He deserved

to win. We played better than me.

When I did get my game together, he

just took me off. Can't do nothing

about that. Good luck to him.

Having

all the shots is important. Drawing

well is important, but having

conversion shots as well, and you

seemed to be able to do that

comfortably today.

I wouldn't say

was comfortable but I managed to get

them. Mervyn got a lot of good bowls

in, and luckily I got some of them

out.

You have never played him a

singles before but you have played

in international matches in the

pairs and the fours. You know his

game outside and in. Do you think he

can do all the way?

Of course, if he

plays like that. If he can play

those shots like today, it is

anybody's game, and he is capable of

doing that. You never know with

bowls.

For the first time since the

Scottish International Open came to

Perth, four Scots in the final -- --

four Scots in the semifinals.

Some truly incredible shots here

today, but which is the best? Corky

has a tough choice.

My shop of the

day comes from the match with Jamie

Chestney and Paul Foster. I had a

whole list from this match. In the

first set, Paul Foster got over the

line 7-6, but in the second, Jamie

Chestney turned it on and was

guiding his way towards winning it.

In the eighth end, he was lying one,

already one up on the end and

thinking, I could pick up two or

three. Until Paul Foster played this

shot. It is perfect. Controlled

weight on the backhand. This is so

difficult to play on the portable

rink. He needed the ball, single

target onto the red, taking the

other one out. Jamie Chestney had

another bowl to come but could do

nothing about it. If Paul had

missed, Jamie could have turned the

jack around the corner for three,

but that gave him absolutely nothing

to play with his last bowl. It was a

beautifully executed shot, total

perfection, total control, and put

him in the position of winning that

set and the match.

Paul Foster was fantastic today but

what will he be like tomorrow? You

can find out.

It truly has been a great day.

Please join us for the semifinals.

They will be wonderful. From all of

us here, thank you for your company.

Goodbye for now.