Highlights - World Singles Semi-finals Bowls World Indoor Championships

Welcome to the Bowls: World Championship Highlights on BBC 2.

This week we have seen shock after shock. The line-up does not contain

the usual suspects. Some of Ball's most recognisable faces have left

after a series of unexpected results. Paul Foster has been

pulled out of the world singles championship. The champion has gone.

It is unbelievable. We are all shocked here. The world number two

is out of the championships. The jury is still out on the identity

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

on the 2012 champion following World number 13 David Greenslade

against world number eight David Gourlay. Top 16 for the last few

years. He really needed to get ranking points in this event. Going

to Wales for the Grand Prix in a week's time. He will be a relieved

man. He has done so well in these World Championships. He has enough

points to be safe in the top 16 so he will be concentrating on winning

the event. A couple of interesting clashes. Regular names in the top

players over the last five or six years are at risk of going out of

playing for over two decades. His father won the Commonwealth gold

medal in 1992. That was in Brisbane, Queensland. His mother, Sarah has

lifted a number of medals after their championship and the

Commonwealth Games. This is also from the same family. Evidently, it

has been in his blood from a young age. It is a good start for Jason.

This has to be a forehand runner doesn't it? It does now. They

looked to be taking the green bowls out. They would take it to the

first end. Lots of weight. Looking for a front bowl on to the jack.

Looks good. That was quite good, actually. This was the depressed

bowl. Two shuts out. David will have a good conversion shot

available. Great open bowls. Great two shots. If David drives the jack

into the ditch it will score three in the first bend. It certainly

looks to have damaged it. Get a single or the jack through for

three. The jack will be his target. Open's a slightly blocked for the

draw shot. -- both hands are. pretty close. Just a fraction wide.

It is rare that David Gourlay Mrs a running bowl. He takes a double. --

he misses. Jason has come in with slightly different approach to his

game. He has a lot more control, he is a bit aggressive player. He has

been relying a lot more on his drawing ability. This is the

championship for the first time that he has swapped to the Tiger

bowl. This is different to what he traditionally uses. Because of that

he has played shorter jacks. Normally he plays longer jacks.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

That is a good driver. Looks like it is one green from here. A

backhand draw for David. Looking for a touch on the jack. He wants

to make a double. The line is good. A forehand draw for Jason. Ideally

to drop around his own green bowl. Count and cover. He would just miss

his own. That is a great effort. He could run this down a little bit

with pace. That was a heavy drop. Certainly a tighter line. That was

the right idea. Surprisingly, it dropped short. It was mentioned to

me that some people think that the inside line is moving a little bit

heavier. That really should not have mattered to David. He could

have reached that. It is one of the heads that he can afford to reach,

he cannot afford two yards. It will be on his mind. If you draw another

shot he will come back around for cover. Or you can tempt yourself

with the back end. -- backhand. A four-shot ditties. He would try to

drop round the green bowls. He will hope to count and cover. It is the

grande bowl again. Not far away, but even half a yard on that last

bowled would have been good. -- bowl. A positive draw for David.

Looking for a little touch on the jack. To not know what she would do

to get back from there? The only good thing for David Gourlay was

that he was not punish finally putting a single in. He lost one. -

- punished for. A good start for Jason, going in again. Going very

strong. Certainly winning the drawing battle at the moment. A

good sign for Jason. Scotland well represented in the semifinals,

David Gourlay at the top of the least. -- least. That is a long way

down from Inverness to get here. He four years. The wives like to

support their man. Just a foot behind the jack. He would love to

slot one in there. Mix it up a little bit. Will it be inside, or

outside? No question it will be on the inside. What a perfect bowl.

Very good bowling for Jason. David will be tempted to open this up. A

forehand drive. Looking for the jack. A great hit. This will be a

one bowl singles night. Just as well that David Gourlay has the

last delivery. He will be four down when he plays his last bowl. It

will be impossible to beat. They must be eight metres from the jack.

Jason, not having a look at the head, having a look to see what is

the best routs in. How can he get as close as possible to the jack.

He may flutter round. -- float around. He would try to filter

through a gap. There does not seem to be a route to get between a four

to eight inches of the jack without flirting with the danger. I think

he has decided to play a forehand so he can be as close to the rink

edge as possible. Down the narrow side. He has not gone that wide

actually. He is making sure that's all. David Gourlay also has that

problem. He has a spin bowl. He will see Jason's line and see if

Peking go a few inches wider. There is a good chance to win this shot.

-- he will go. Jason may not be close enough though. Certainly it

is wider, no doubt about that. A good pace on it. He certainly is

reaching. He has to stop though. I'd not believe it. That went in.

Quite a lot of pace. I cannot believe that bowl. I do not think

that I have ever seen David make a mistake like that before. Yes, we

know he's going for the shot, but Bay in mind that he was four down.

That was a huge mistake. -- BAe in mind. David Gourlay was struggling

to find his form. He lost the first set convincingly. As we joined them

later, Jason is still in charge. Quarterfinals day on Friday.

Semifinals on Saturday. Finals on Sunday. Always a great weekend to

be here. Nearly as much fun in the box as on the rink. I can't say it

is quite as much fun. A lot of pressure. A lot easier RPR. -- up

here. It is unusual this year. It was not for a lack of trying.

Probably the longest jack we have had in this direction. This should

be interesting. He needs to pick the jack up a little bit. He picked

it up on the way past. He has also moved away from the forehand a full

length. He feels that the back end is a better side. -- backhand.

David has over I just did here. -- over adjusted. Jason wraps the head

around the bowl. A strange grip. I have never seen anybody else tried

to copy Jason's delivery. It works for him. Timing in again. A touch

short. The line is good enough, how is the pace? Is this the winner? It

certainly is. David's reaction is that he does not think it is close

enough. He is waiting for his semifinal. Well, Jason is pushing

it forward. Has he got enough in him? You do not won the jack. That

is good. That is very good. That puts the pressure back on David.

Ideally, David would like to turn the jack for three. He probably

feels that he can only draw for one. Yes, it is normally when you think

that a heavy drop will arrive at the jack, his back and will hold

off all day. A dead draw. The line is good. How is the pace? He is not

happy with it. That is the problem. He is in between two minds. He

really wanted the jack. I have done that myself. Jason is in a similar

position, he knows if he turns the raid he was caught four shots. He

cannot afford to turn the jack. -- turns the red he could make four

shots. It will be a dead draw if he turns it. He's not going anywhere

near that jack. He were not paid back in there. He does not have the

pace. -- he will not head back in there. That is rather conservative

for Jason. Absolutely the right tactics. David has to win every and

from this time on. He has called on fire ants for so far -- he has

scored five dance so far. He really has been scratching around. --

scratching around four points in this match. It looks like a

Dalmatian jacket today. It is almost like a puppy that flower on

that woman's jacket. Judy does not miss any matches. That is her chair.

That is where she likes to see it. David needs a clean road here. He

needs to prop around the back end fall in with the shot. Jason may be

tempted to swap to the back end here and drop in between the jack

and the red bowl. He would try to counter and cover. He certainly has

a bowl big enough for it. He must miss his own short bowl. It has

finished good for him. It has finished good. It is finding the

gaps. Things are just working out right for Jason. That's what

happens when you're playing well. It must look like a cream brick

wall for David. How can he get through this jack? He will have to

be adventurous and play through the green bowls and pick up or at least

replace them. If the place into the green bowl there, it could come off

on to the other one. He has to disturb the head. It does not look

a good drawing route for the jack. It needs a bit of fortune with his

one. If he is on the back and he must be trying to draw it. He is

going for the wide draw. -- the back end. -- backhand. The reason

he cannot come around the short green bowl, he needs to miss it. He

is struggling for pace. That was the wrong option. I know that there

were is a bit of luck to be running bowl, but I thought that was the

shot. I think it is making the gap. Irrespective, Jason's line three

will cover the red bowl. Cover the red bowl, that would be my tactics.

Drop two at the back of the rink. That is what he has gone for. He

knows David is so good with the conversion shots. Sensible play.

David is probably only got the draw available. He has left himself in a

bit of a mess at the sand. He knows that he must make his shot to keep

his chances alive in these what championships. This one must count.

He looks like he has a better pace. Is he going in for number one?

Great bowl if it runs. It was they, struggling. He is really in trouble

now. It is all-over. David Gourlay deciding that the three shots was

not for him. 9-4 Mac in the set. Jason was too strong and the 41-

year-old Welshman, a civil servant, has gone through to the final of

the indoor singles. A dominant display for a day such -- Jason. He

is in the finals for the first time. Willett beat the two-time champion

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

or the what number three? -- who He has to hurry. It is important

for Andy Thomson now. He does not want to let Darren Burnett back in.

It looks good. That was pretty good. The seventh end. That is a key end

when it comes to singles. The player behind must score on this

end, otherwise that are chasing the game. This is very good. That is a

major help. He just needs to hang on now and swing away quickly.

bowling by Andy Thomson. Good grouping. He has a problem. He does

not want to go to close. He does not want to widen the target.

Ideally, go underneath the jack and rest on the Greens. He put it in

his hands out as if to say, what's going on? That Paul should have

drifted inside. -- the bowl. could run for the bowl. He does not

really want a connection on the jack. If he gets the joke and it

pushes it over her, that's where his danger is. That's why he is

paying a very conservative backhand draw. Now he drops back, that is

quite solid. One shot to two Darren Burnett. He has to score the next

one to get something out of this set. Andy Thomson was champion in

1994 and 1995. I remember it well. One of the few players to hit back-

to-back championships back in the day of the Preston Guild Hall,

fondly remembered by many people I know. Just when Darren Burnett

wanted a good start. It is important for him to keep the

pressure on Andy Thomson. With a player of his calibre, you cannot

do that. I just feel that Andy Thomson is a little more consistent.

That is a better bowl. Andy Thomson for many years a plate with Gary

Smith who has gone on to be in the hierarchy of bowls nowadays. Very

much involved in the administration side. The chief executive now. Of

world outdoor bowling. I am sure he will be tuning in to watch his old

friend. A wide line from Andy Thomson. He just needs to bowl pass

the front stuff. There is the thin edge. He did not have the pace. The

shoulder is there. It is worth reaching. He has two seconds and he

really has to score the cent. -- this end. He may try to keep the

bowl clean, play this with a lot of weight. Try to take the bowl

without any movement on the jack. think you are right, John.

forehand that suggests he is going to attack. That looks narrow.

could be interesting. Was that interesting, or what? He was on the

right side, coming down the inside line. That was a very good result.

Just a signal to Andy Thomson to say, sorry mate, that was off

target. Really good etiquette, that. Swings and roundabouts. We all get

them. Now Andy, a white line. If you have got good weight, this will

sweep back. He has pushed through it. APPLAUSE. That is the

difference going into the last line three shots up. East and the losers

this said he will be extremely disappointed. He lost five shots in

the last three ends. He is level in a shoot-out for the semifinal.

characteristic as the tournament has gone on that that forehand has

become more difficult to play in this direction. It is probably due

to traffic on the rink. A lot of it bowls have been played. It is

stretched tightly and during the tournament, obviously, it listens a

little bit. -- becomes a little looser. A bit more testing on

occasions. I would love to play on it every night, but it is a testing

rink. He did not like that one at all. O'Dea, he turned his back on

it immediately. -- oh dear. It does not look too bad from our

perspective. Sticking with a backhand draw at the moment.

knows he is very close. Very, very close. That has dropped away.

final end. Darren Burnett is having a close inspection. This is tough,

John, because there are two options. He can drop in on the backhand and

tried to get something in front for the ultimate shot. He knows the Bat

position is dodgy. The trouble is, if he does get something into the

back position and slot something in, is bowl goes out and he is one down.

Yes, he might go for the option just to cover the back position at

this stage. Difficult for Andy. He would like to draw the shot. That

is a good position. That is exactly where it was, that graphic. It is

probably be safer way to play, but he has left it open for Andy to

punch the bowl out. -- punched the bowling bowl out. More weight.

Makes sense. Trying to disturb it. Oh deer, and be, that is the one

you really did not want. You can see by his reaction. Yes, you can

see that he is under the line. Now he is in big trouble. Well, he

really knew that that was a problem. I think Darren Burnett will go on

the respot position and try to beat the green bowl. -- the green

bowling bowl. He has got the line to get that. Has he got the weight?

He just wants to stop on the green one. That is very good. That is

really, really good. A clever at end by Darren Burnett. I think he

has left Andy Thomson just a draw now. It is not an easy bowl to play.

Under the circumstances, but it is there, David. Sometimes being left

with no choice is better. You just have to pay the one choice that is

available. Andy Thomson will be the disappointed. The first set up to

Darren Burnett. Somehow Andy Thomson conspired to lose the first

set and Darren Burnett took it. Thomson needs to win the next set

to force a tie-break. Eight very unique delivery there,

Andy Thomson. His thumb is very high on the bowl. Not too many of

the top players have that sort of grip. APPLAUSE. Seven inches short,

jack high. It is hard to get round it. It is a

good line. His weight is good. APPLAUSE. Encouraging the bowl

forward. It is very close. As a semifinal this match has been very

interesting. It has slowed down a lot in the second set. Looking more

interested. That is not running, Darren, that is struggling. Still

motoring along at a good pace. They could easily finish the two sets

within the one that our range. We normally expect a very tight game.

He is playing that same forehand High Line. A good weight. Ideally,

he would want to get around the red and the green and go behind the

chapel stomp he must be very close. Is got it all the way. That was a

very good bowl. A big swing of the bowl. He has played it well.

Ideally, he would have liked another six inches, just pass the

jack. He is going to make Darren Burnett's mind up now. I think he

will definitely run through this. perfect shot would have been just

coming behind the jack, but I think Andy was relieved just to get

another one in. Quiet at Potters resort for the semifinal day.

would love this to go to a tie- break. Darren Burnett will have

other ideas. That is very controlled. That is a hard shot to

play on that they can. He played it well. He gets the jack. Just caught

it. APPLAUSE. And are now he is three down. It is almost a set lie

for Andy Thomson. That was very unlucky. He is in a worse position.

I cannot believe it. He has got a big problem now. I expect Andy to

bang this one close to the jack, tried to clear this and if he can.

Win the set and move on to the tie- break. APPLAUSE. Looking good.

Looking very good. The best Darren Burnett could do his second shot,

and that would be a very good bowl. I think he will have to accept that

he will not get the shot unless he gets a fluke results. He will just

have to draw down for a second. Either way, it is not easy. It is a

set lie against him. He is playing a runner. Goodness me. I cannot see

him getting anything out of this. Well, he may have saved one, but

that is more less the sector over anyway. -- the said over. Andy

Thomson. APPLAUSE. Abe reaction from the crowd for Andy Thomson. --

a big reaction. So Andy Thomson did take the second

set and the best of two tie-breaker. It all came down to this.

There are going down to the wire. There are certainly are. This is

the only end of the match that can be declared it to be killed and

replayed in the same direction. Both players have that option, of

course. That is a good start for Darren Burnett. That was two inches.

Both players will be disappointed in their first two ends. It is a

one end shoot-out. Very close. First time. Eight Eva mac reaction

from the grave. APPLAUSE. De -- a

inch. This is not going to be easy, John. No, I think he is going to

swap sides. He is not. He is continuing on the backhand. That is

unusual. The difficulty is, like all of the hands, once you start

going for something it is a struggle to get back in again. Has

he done it? It is very close. Just cracked an egg on the green bowl.

One green. A very confident call, that was. I think that both players

will want to look at that. No, he is deciding against. I think that

was the wrong chance where Darren Burnett could get the right shot.

He has already played two beauties on the backhand. A very confident

one to green. APPLAUSE. Gone for cover. Not perfect, but it is OK.

Darren Burnett will have a close look, but we favour it is one-green.

Perfectly centred. There are the Rings. Darren Burnett was very

unlucky with that bowl because he looked to have the perfect weight.

I think this is so difficult. shot of the other side now but he

may be tempted to keep his back out. Yes, backhand it is. That is so

hard to get backing to. Very precise. It is not going to come

back. There it goes. A lovely weight, but. Darren Burnett will

have one bowl left to stay in the Championship. To me it is still a

forehand shot for Darren Burnett because he can see more of the

target. I do not think it Andy Thomson than go close to this. He

has just got to stay away and hope for the best. Just go in deep.

more can and the do? He is one bowl away from getting into the world

singles final. At a stage of his career when he thought it was never

going to happen. This year has been wide open to the man from London,

originally from St Andrews. Twice world champion. Just one bowl away

from another place in the final. Who is she playing for? -- praying

klezmer it is a tough call for Darren Burnett. If he plays a

winner. Good on him for even trying it. This is a bowl which I feel is

almost impossible to get. Certainly better for weight. He is very close.

It did not trap. Andy Thomson thinks he has got it. He has. That

was a magnificent effort. So please. Andy Thomson, look at that,

absolutely elated. And why not? He is going to the world singles final.

A great performance from the 6056 year-old. He has managed to get

over the line and one a great victory. -- 56-year-old. He wins

the tie-break 2-1. Darren Burnett was excited about it. The last bowl

at the end, looked perfect. Just needed the bowl to break back an

inch quicker. Normally that would have dropped back in, Batty did not

on this occasion. And it is Andy Thomson through for the final.

So, well done to 56-year-old Andy Thomson - 17 years since he last

won the world title. He will face Jason Greenslade, appearing for the