Day 2

:00:45. > :00:51.Yesterday saw the end of Paul Foster and Alex Marshall's three-year

:00:52. > :00:59.reign. Greg Harlow and Nicky Greg were on top form and took the first

:01:00. > :01:06.title of the week. Meanwhile, in the men's singles, the defending

:01:07. > :01:21.champion swept aside Mr Grant to seal his side in the last 16. Yes,

:01:22. > :01:25.hello and welcome to Potters Leisure Resort. Another trophy is on the

:01:26. > :01:29.line in the mixed pairs, and the defending champions are already

:01:30. > :01:43.through to the final. Laura Thomas and Paul Foster. She has played

:01:44. > :01:55.really well. Oh, look at this. The first major final on TV and she has

:01:56. > :02:07.covered herself in glory. She is confident, normally, on this side.

:02:08. > :02:13.He needs to hurry. Oh, yes. They have won it and it is thoroughly

:02:14. > :02:17.deserved as well. Paul Foster and Laura Thomas are up against Andy

:02:18. > :02:19.Thompson and Catherine regnal, a team with something of a generation

:02:20. > :02:39.gap between them. # Life is the name of the game and I

:02:40. > :02:43.want to play the game with you. Many years ago you use to play in the

:02:44. > :02:47.international team with Catherine's father, John. It was a pleasure to

:02:48. > :02:53.play with John and he was a good player. Catherine is such a talented

:02:54. > :02:59.player and I have played with them both which is great. Catherine, you

:03:00. > :03:04.are 18 and playing with Andy Johnson. He is 40 years older than

:03:05. > :03:11.you. He is a legend. Fantastic, I have enjoyed it. Dad used to play

:03:12. > :03:16.with Andy and I saw the draw and I was thrilled. It is fresh for you

:03:17. > :03:22.and a new partnership. It is good to play with younger players. Yes, it

:03:23. > :03:31.is. I knew when Catherine was drawn to partner me, I was delighted. She

:03:32. > :03:34.is talented. It is not like Catherine has no credibility, she

:03:35. > :03:41.has won many titles and that is a bonus. Exactly. For somebody so

:03:42. > :03:46.young to win so many titles shows how she will be in the years ahead.

:03:47. > :03:56.She is still playing great Bowls. It is a new partnership. Laura and Paul

:03:57. > :04:11.are good players so it will be a tough game but I think we stand a

:04:12. > :04:16.chance. Good luck. Yes, it is a big day for Katherine. She is 18 but she

:04:17. > :04:26.does have the old fox, Andy Thompson who has been there many times

:04:27. > :04:31.before. He has got Laura Thomas in his corner today and they are hoping

:04:32. > :04:36.to successfully defend their titles. It is time to get the final

:04:37. > :04:41.underway. Thank you. Our first pairing does have it all. Youth and

:04:42. > :04:51.experience. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome onto the famous blue

:04:52. > :04:51.carpet, Katherine Rednall and Andy Thomson.

:04:52. > :05:20.APPLAUSE And now, ladies and gentlemen, the

:05:21. > :05:21.defending champions, give it up for Laura Thomas and Paul Foster!

:05:22. > :05:52.APPLAUSE This promises to be a cracking match

:05:53. > :05:55.this afternoon. Paul Foster is hoping for better luck than he

:05:56. > :06:04.enjoyed yesterday afternoon. Time to go to the commentary box. Thank you.

:06:05. > :06:10.Of course, Paul Foster will be moving to the skips position for

:06:11. > :06:15.this final and he will have the very talented Welsh player Laura Thomas

:06:16. > :06:20.with him. She was the star of the final last year and will be hoping

:06:21. > :06:35.she can keep the form going. Here she is, the 28-year-old.

:06:36. > :06:42.It can be a fairly nervous affair that we can expect them to settle

:06:43. > :06:47.in. They are involved in the singles as well. That is right. Laura has

:06:48. > :06:52.been here before, we have seen her in the final last year. Katherine

:06:53. > :06:55.Rednall has great potential and has shown great potential on the

:06:56. > :07:03.domestic scene so I expect a good game of bowls. Thompson and Foster,

:07:04. > :07:21.what can you say about them? That is a great start by Laura Thomas.

:07:22. > :07:26.That is a really good reply, look at this.

:07:27. > :07:47.APPLAUSE No problem. Keep that up and it will

:07:48. > :08:02.be some final. It is coming down again. It just needs to settle in.

:08:03. > :08:13.It is a good bowl. The same bowl again. She does not really want to

:08:14. > :08:21.change her leads on the first end. They want to settle into a line

:08:22. > :08:24.length on one side of the wink. -- rink. Look at this, this is good

:08:25. > :08:46.stuff, great stuff! APPLAUSE

:08:47. > :08:53.Katherine Rednall is a very experienced international player.

:08:54. > :08:59.Her father has played at world level and is no better men tour, really.

:09:00. > :09:04.No, David, you are certainly right. Her father has played on the

:09:05. > :09:11.portable rink many years ago, I think he was a semifinalist. He will

:09:12. > :09:25.be giving Katherine plenty of advice. Oh, what a bowl! Look at

:09:26. > :09:36.this from Paul Foster. Serious business, he is in the mood. And

:09:37. > :09:46.with weight, the first ball. He did not get it away smoothly. Yes, you

:09:47. > :09:51.do not want to be playing weight in the first bowl in a major final. You

:09:52. > :10:02.need to loosen up a bit and get the arm going. Yes, it is not the rest

:10:03. > :10:05.option but I think Paul is looking at going deep. It was probably a

:10:06. > :10:30.safe bet. That is good. It is up to you, you

:10:31. > :10:42.can go again if you want. It is fairly close to the shot. That is

:10:43. > :10:49.good information. Better this time. Oh, yes. He is going to get a good

:10:50. > :10:59.result out of this. Is it is on the wee spot in addition, he might get

:11:00. > :11:11.the shot. -- re-spot. A much better strike by Andy Thomson. He takes his

:11:12. > :11:24.shot on the wee spot. -- re-spot. A massive crowd here at the Potters

:11:25. > :11:30.Leisure Resort. It is a beautiful part of the country. We have had a

:11:31. > :11:35.lot of fog today that they have come in in their droves. Yes, it is quite

:11:36. > :11:49.cold out there today. I could not find my way here! I was on my ten

:11:50. > :11:58.mile run this morning. It is not far away, a couple of feet. Katherine

:11:59. > :12:18.Rednall, her father is here today, he is a schoolteacher. Down you

:12:19. > :12:29.come. Down, Laura. Very good. Three bowls so far, all within a foot.

:12:30. > :12:39.Keep it coming, keep it coming. Good reply.

:12:40. > :12:42.APPLAUSE That is Katherine Rednall's

:12:43. > :13:43.grandmother, Gwenda. Well, he's trying to get the weight

:13:44. > :13:50.down after two drives. I do not think that that is what he was

:13:51. > :13:58.aiming for but still useful. The second prize and it still splits the

:13:59. > :14:12.two rates. The line was good. You can see the dots going down the

:14:13. > :14:25.centre of the line. A very good effort. Struggling to get back a

:14:26. > :14:44.little bit. Two feet. That surprised me. Come on, keep running. Closer,

:14:45. > :14:52.this one. It will make a double. APPLAUSE

:14:53. > :15:06.It makes a good adjustment on the weight. A wonderful delivery. You

:15:07. > :15:09.might be struggling to find a seat out there for this final. It is

:15:10. > :15:25.always very popular. The mixed pairs. Ladies do not have to play,

:15:26. > :15:31.they can skip, of course, but it is usually a preferred option for them.

:15:32. > :15:35.Their strength is usually on the drawer shot. One or two are very

:15:36. > :15:59.strong. Good, Laura. A great start again.

:16:00. > :16:09.APPLAUSE She is very consistent. There is

:16:10. > :16:15.Lee, Laura's partner, and her mum. They are now engaged, Laura and

:16:16. > :16:34.leave. If they have any children, they can call them Larry. A good

:16:35. > :16:37.line in by Katherine. Laura has made great progress in the last couple of

:16:38. > :16:44.years, she comes from a bowling family. Her brother Ben, for

:16:45. > :16:52.example. Yes, she is a very talented player.

:16:53. > :16:59.APPLAUSE I remember last year when Paul

:17:00. > :17:05.Foster was so happy. A wonderful to bowls there, that is the perfect

:17:06. > :17:08.leader in. She is asking for a little runner here which is unusual.

:17:09. > :17:16.She is in the area. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! That is not an

:17:17. > :17:23.easy shot, John. That is great bowling from both girls. A wonderful

:17:24. > :17:38.drive. A perfect connection and it takes to be to read away. A real

:17:39. > :17:49.good talent, Katherine. That was a really, really difficult shot. Up

:17:50. > :18:03.you come. Well done. APPLAUSE

:18:04. > :18:06.A cracking bowl by Paul Foster. A really high standard at the start of

:18:07. > :18:09.this game, tremendous stuff from both. Thompson has a good line. Will

:18:10. > :18:26.he run? Harry! I do not think he will be two down

:18:27. > :18:44.after this one. He is on automatic pilot at the moment. It is good

:18:45. > :18:47.again. That is brilliant. He was unhappy with his form in the pairs

:18:48. > :18:54.final yesterday, he did not get to grips with the rink. He has come out

:18:55. > :19:15.and has already shown signs of top form. That is a very narrow line. A

:19:16. > :19:19.lot of weights to hold this. Actually, he is not that far away.

:19:20. > :19:20.If he had another yard, he would have been perfect.

:19:21. > :20:36.APPLAUSE It looks very good, Laura. A 26

:20:37. > :20:44.metre jack length. The ball is struggling to get back from a

:20:45. > :20:47.slightly wider line. This is looking good, it is going to drop inside the

:20:48. > :21:14.red one. APPLAUSE

:21:15. > :21:35.Just the weight, the line was good. It is coming down the side again...

:21:36. > :21:41.Just. APPLAUSE

:21:42. > :21:46.It will be interesting to see what Paul Foster decides to do here. Will

:21:47. > :21:52.he play with a little bit of weight or even a lot of weight if he wants

:21:53. > :22:00.it? The difficulty here is if he drives the two balls out, he is

:22:01. > :22:05.leaving a lot of room. Yes, I think from the conversation he is looking

:22:06. > :22:11.at possibly going for the two bowls. He could draw it on the forehand

:22:12. > :22:18.side. I think he has made his mind up. He has. The danger is that he

:22:19. > :22:26.will take his own bowl away. A controlled weight, not a big drive.

:22:27. > :22:33.It looks like he may be lucky. It is good. I did not think he would miss

:22:34. > :22:47.that. He tried a difficult weight and it is not so easy at that pace.

:22:48. > :22:51.He has the last role, Andy. -- bowl. The two bowls are honourable so even

:22:52. > :23:01.if he adds another it might be in the mix and keep things tight. --

:23:02. > :23:16.probable. A lovely line. APPLAUSE

:23:17. > :23:24.It is back to the shot that we thought he might play. It is more

:23:25. > :23:33.difficult now because he is going from a different side of the rink.

:23:34. > :23:45.He has a good line, he needs to run. A bit more, a bit more! Unlucky. He

:23:46. > :24:09.could be second, though. That was a good saving bowled by Paul.

:24:10. > :24:25.Again, it has fallen away. The crowd were willing it in but it did not go

:24:26. > :24:28.anywhere. It goes down as a chance. You do not want to miss too many of

:24:29. > :24:38.those opportunities against a pair like this. Yes, Laura and Paul will

:24:39. > :24:42.be much happier at the end of the day. They were in trouble and escape

:24:43. > :25:12.so it could have been worse than that. A lovely view of the arena

:25:13. > :25:14.from that angle. 27 metres. Well done. 15 inches.

:25:15. > :25:35.APPLAUSE Up you come, Laura. A great start

:25:36. > :25:59.again. Very good. APPLAUSE

:26:00. > :26:21.It is better behind than short, though.

:26:22. > :26:33.It has dropped on the short side. It is not bad, John. No, it is not bad,

:26:34. > :26:37.a bit of space for Andy, though. If you miss with your first hole, you

:26:38. > :26:47.know you are going to be in trouble, there is a bit of pressure

:26:48. > :26:49.on this one. -- bowl. He is a silver fox. Yes, that is why he has the

:26:50. > :27:13.grey hair. Yes, that is the danger I was

:27:14. > :27:17.talking about. If he missed the first one, he will be looking at

:27:18. > :27:30.three shots by the time John has finished.

:27:31. > :27:46.It did not get past but it looks like it is counselling. He may be

:27:47. > :27:55.tempted to run. -- counting. It does not take much to run through. It is

:27:56. > :27:59.all a matter of passing the front ones. Oh, he is in. He had the

:28:00. > :28:16.confidence to drop the weight. An absolute beauty. I am surprised Paul

:28:17. > :28:26.has not gone to look at this. It is difficult, though. The jack is bad.

:28:27. > :28:32.It is a backhand draw. That looks fairly narrow. It must be the extra

:28:33. > :28:51.weight he has on it. It was Andy that saved the day this

:28:52. > :29:10.time. It was Paul the last time. Everyone is playing their part in

:29:11. > :29:25.this match. The jack length is 27 metres.

:29:26. > :30:21.Yes, well played, Laura. APPLAUSE

:30:22. > :30:28.A bit further away than she would have wanted. Laura should be

:30:29. > :31:22.reaching her own bowl, anything past is good. Yes, it is pretty good.

:31:23. > :31:37.It drops on the short side a little bit. It was a wide draw that, early

:31:38. > :31:49.last week, I thought that was the quick aside, it is quite funny. Paul

:31:50. > :31:56.has a good line, lots of pace. Touching the jack is a bonus.

:31:57. > :32:06.APPLAUSE Andy Thomson is coming up to have a

:32:07. > :32:17.look. The usual choices, John. He has a draw on the backhand. A lot of

:32:18. > :32:22.players have David that. He does favour the backhand and that is why

:32:23. > :32:30.he is playing it. He got a little catch on that last bowl. It is all

:32:31. > :32:40.about making sure he is there, he has to reach. He is trying his best.

:32:41. > :32:42.Oh, yes! APPLAUSE

:32:43. > :32:58.He just made it. He was not sure for a long time. He just got in. Yes, a

:32:59. > :33:06.little regular from here and there. It went straight through. Paul is

:33:07. > :33:16.probably saying, you are a very naughty boy, Andy. It is difficult

:33:17. > :33:21.to get to. He might have to follow it up. The forehand does not look

:33:22. > :33:27.good because you are crunching the jack into the bowl. He could arrive

:33:28. > :33:41.on the backhand side to roll it over. He is playing. The line is

:33:42. > :33:50.good. The line is really good, David. If it drops, he is close. It

:33:51. > :34:00.was the extra weight. The right weight for the job. A good escape

:34:01. > :34:12.for Andy Thomson. It is all good stuff. A tasty game. Great ball by

:34:13. > :34:24.Andy Thomson. When I arrived he said how well he

:34:25. > :34:53.was playing. The more pressure he gets, the better.

:34:54. > :35:20.Very consistent with Laura Thomas. She has only had one slightly in

:35:21. > :35:26.different end in this match so far, she has played very well. --

:35:27. > :35:31.indifferent. If you are patient, you will get an opportunity. Good reply

:35:32. > :36:13.with this. She is coming round behind the

:36:14. > :36:20.bowls. She is indeed. Foster is getting plenty of support again from

:36:21. > :36:26.Laura Thomas. He is playing a lot better today himself. As you say,

:36:27. > :36:39.you just feel Andy has dipped into the well last couple of ends. That

:36:40. > :36:53.well of good bowls and write up quickly. -- can dry up. He is

:36:54. > :37:02.sticking with his force hand -- forehand. There are not much

:37:03. > :37:16.options. He has played it in a narrow line. That gives me the

:37:17. > :37:45.impression there are differences with his normal bowls.

:37:46. > :37:56.A little bit more weight required. Definitely, the inside is normal. It

:37:57. > :38:05.is close with this, all in the connection. There it is, that is

:38:06. > :38:12.Foster's last bowl. It was always going to be in a good position. He

:38:13. > :38:18.played well, good weight for the shop-mac. He just carried it too far

:38:19. > :38:39.off the red. It is all about tactics, isn't it? Good line again

:38:40. > :38:43.here. You do not want to give this man two feet every end. No, not with

:38:44. > :39:13.a performance like that. This is a potential 25 and March.

:39:14. > :39:21.That is usually long enough to identify a winner.

:39:22. > :39:29.There has been some good bowls played. There is just a feeling that

:39:30. > :39:31.Thomas and Foster have got the age at the moment. There is not a lot in

:39:32. > :40:20.it. Katherine needs to get a good opener

:40:21. > :40:29.in at this stage in the set. Very smooth delivery from Thomas. She

:40:30. > :40:32.really came to prominence in the Welsh finals some years ago. We

:40:33. > :40:43.watched her and were quite impressed.

:40:44. > :40:54.She has made some big progress in the last two or three seasons.

:40:55. > :41:00.She is so fast on the mat sometimes, I wonder if she just

:41:01. > :41:15.pulled back for that 510 seconds and set herself and just have an

:41:16. > :41:19.occasional drop short. -- five or ten seconds. When you are young you

:41:20. > :41:32.just get on with the game and do not think about it. No, there is no

:41:33. > :41:36.fear, but occasionally you have to hold back for a moment. This is

:41:37. > :41:58.potentially very dangerous for Paul Foster. That was a loose ball, very

:41:59. > :42:13.unusual for him. This needs to carry up, and he is there. Good-looking

:42:14. > :42:47.line in. That is a big chance for Andy

:42:48. > :42:57.Thomson. He just needs to sneak past the red one, just sneak past... He

:42:58. > :43:02.will be disappointed, it was a good opportunity for the third. He will

:43:03. > :43:05.take the two to tie the setup. Bit of a soft two in some ways. Paul

:43:06. > :43:17.Foster will be disappointed with that. Wonderfully poised, though,

:43:18. > :43:21.going into the back end of the set. Tension will build, no doubt about

:43:22. > :44:56.that. Paul can read the piece. It is

:44:57. > :45:11.looking decent with this one. She is in the two.

:45:12. > :45:43.He is just forcing Andy to find the good bowl again.

:45:44. > :45:51.They are just not as sharp as his normal bowls. Obviously, he is using

:45:52. > :45:55.the same manufacturer, because he works for them and he cannot do

:45:56. > :46:01.anything else, but the rink is a bit different. Having said that, it

:46:02. > :46:15.looks like a slightly different bowl.

:46:16. > :46:30.Problem with Andy last year, he was carrying extra weight. This looks

:46:31. > :46:40.like a good line. This could be a missed opportunity here. This was

:46:41. > :46:41.set up by Laura Thomas's first two bowls and Andy has not managed to

:46:42. > :46:59.dip into that. I do not think there are much old is

:47:00. > :47:33.on Paul getting this one in. -- much old is -- odds.

:47:34. > :47:39.Go, he is running. He will not believe that, that is a missed

:47:40. > :47:55.chance. Still a good time to get three shots

:47:56. > :48:01.but if you had a mortgage you would have put that on you, wouldn't you?

:48:02. > :48:07.I think he would have put the fourth in. Normally he is reliable. He has

:48:08. > :48:33.just proved he is human. Reassuring for the rest of us! Yes, it is!

:48:34. > :49:08.That is a short Jack Lang -- Jack Lang -- jack length, 24.5 meters.

:49:09. > :49:45.That of a disturbance there, somebody's mobile phone going off.

:49:46. > :50:02.It looks inside. It is the weight more than anything. The line was

:50:03. > :50:56.good. Come on, Katherine, can you add a second? Good line again.

:50:57. > :51:05.That just sat on the Green, so it is locked in.

:51:06. > :51:19.That looks a good line, by Andy. But just over the weight.

:51:20. > :51:29.Andy has just gone off the boil a little bit.

:51:30. > :51:54.If he draws this close it will be a set life. -- . -- set lie.

:51:55. > :52:00.Andy Thomson looking to see if there is anything available. I do not

:52:01. > :52:07.think so. He could run the Jack roofer two. I think he is looking at

:52:08. > :52:16.Ajax through to the back of the rink for two and he will do it. -- a

:52:17. > :52:33.Jack. It is going to be very hard to pick up a four at the next end, so

:52:34. > :52:45.this has to work. That will go, that will go on the respot for a double.

:52:46. > :52:54.Good drive. He played well. The draw has been off in the last couple of

:52:55. > :53:01.rounds. This is interesting, nine - eight, one end to go. That was the

:53:02. > :53:04.problem with Paul's last delivery. When you try and tidy it up and you

:53:05. > :53:14.do not make it you leave yourself honourable. It is a problem. You

:53:15. > :53:17.cannot cover both options. When there are chances for the opposition

:53:18. > :53:21.you just have to pick one of them to try and stop them playing. Still a

:53:22. > :53:29.tough shot for Andy to try and get the jack.

:53:30. > :53:49.Back onto a longer jack length, 28 metres. It is all to fight for. And

:53:50. > :54:15.this looks like a good starter. That is a beauty.

:54:16. > :54:20.Good opener. Laura has got to try and get close to this. Yes, that was

:54:21. > :55:16.very good. Oh, that is absolutely brilliant.

:55:17. > :55:21.Katherine's first, you thought she would do well to get the second, and

:55:22. > :55:27.she has pushed the jack onto the bowl. Just as the doctor ordered.

:55:28. > :55:59.Squeeze the jack, he said. Look at that, well played.

:56:00. > :56:11.I think Andy would have liked to have made that with the first one.

:56:12. > :56:14.He has got options, though. I think Paul is right when he is saying he

:56:15. > :56:24.cannot go near it. He is going to have a look and a little chat. I

:56:25. > :56:28.have got to be careful. That red bowl is vulnerable if Andy does put

:56:29. > :56:37.it away. Maybe he could try and get around the red and try and drop on

:56:38. > :56:41.the back green? If you get into that position it is really good, but it

:56:42. > :56:46.might lock the red one in. It is just there are so many options

:56:47. > :56:52.there. He has a bowl at the back. That is going to be vital if he

:56:53. > :56:58.starts to hit things. He has got the respot position to aim for as well.

:56:59. > :57:03.Probably, the best way is to go back down on the backhand. If Andy plays

:57:04. > :57:09.the ball he is likely to get back into the jack, so the jack will

:57:10. > :57:14.probably spring? It could easily go through the gap. There is less

:57:15. > :57:18.chance of giving the shot away on the backhand as well. If he is on

:57:19. > :57:23.the wide side he will be safe enough. He is looking to play what

:57:24. > :57:28.we suggested, just dipping back in. He is away from what he wants. I

:57:29. > :57:35.wonder would it be useful? Not quite. It takes away the full drive.

:57:36. > :57:44.It just leaves Andy the draw to touch the jack. Difficult shot for

:57:45. > :57:56.Andy Thomson because it is a very controlled weight. Probably just

:57:57. > :58:04.over the draw. He has a chance if he gets this absolutely plumb. He could

:58:05. > :58:10.take the set. It is a narrower line. He mutts think he is reaching,

:58:11. > :58:19.because that is what it is all down to. -- he must. Has he got the

:58:20. > :58:28.weight? That is the problem. He has just failed. First set to Thomson

:58:29. > :58:35.and Foster. I think on the balance of play, probably just shaded that

:58:36. > :58:49.first set. Overall they were the better pair, but only just.

:58:50. > :58:55.Nobody is leaving this one. No! They have come out here and they are

:58:56. > :59:26.going to enjoy this match. Once again, Laura Thomas had a big

:59:27. > :59:37.effect on the last end. Katherine Rednall has put in an absolute

:59:38. > :59:42.beauty. Can't remember you getting that sort of support when you played

:59:43. > :00:00.in pairs many years ago against me? I would disagree with you there!

:00:01. > :00:13.Laura is playing really well, Katherine has got some good old

:00:14. > :00:26.smack, but Laura has got the edge. This is good again. Look at it. Oh,

:00:27. > :00:34.wow. There it goes. Brilliant. No sign of nerves from the 18-year-old.

:00:35. > :01:11.That is OK, very good. A good end again, both girls. They will be

:01:12. > :01:34.delighted to get that sort of support in any pairs match. Two very

:01:35. > :01:56.talented world-class players. Andy is now a grandfather for the first

:01:57. > :02:03.time. A great effort. It is worth you trying to stay on the high

:02:04. > :02:16.side. It is difficult for Paul, isn't it? He can easily give a shot

:02:17. > :02:30.away. He cannot afford to touch anything. It is better that he has

:02:31. > :02:39.not. He is coming to have a look. He just needs to lose a bit of weight

:02:40. > :02:42.to get in there. He was looking to push it through in this direction

:02:43. > :02:49.and if he gets it through to there it is going to bring in this bowl.

:02:50. > :02:55.That is a key bowl for him at this stage, but he still has the option

:02:56. > :02:59.of taking the red bowl out clean and that will bring in this front one.

:03:00. > :03:08.There are all sorts of options available for him. I think he will

:03:09. > :03:14.arrive with this the way he did before. It is not an easy shot on

:03:15. > :03:23.this side of the green. He can go stronger but it is up to him. As

:03:24. > :03:30.long as he is reaching, he has a chance. He has done it again. That

:03:31. > :03:39.was all to do with weight and nothing to do with line. He was

:03:40. > :03:52.frightened to push it out. That is a missed chance. Paul is quite happy

:03:53. > :03:56.to walk away. It was difficult. He was trying to play it with a very

:03:57. > :04:05.delicate weight and it is not easy on that side. It was the last hole

:04:06. > :04:09.of the end for him, and really, he realised he needed to be there to

:04:10. > :04:21.give its some sort of chance. -- bowl. Two or three times it has

:04:22. > :04:45.happened and he will not be a happy bunny.

:04:46. > :05:03.There have not been too many bowls like that from either player.

:05:04. > :05:28.Katherine is stepping in. APPLAUSE

:05:29. > :05:42.Very close with this one. It dropped one bowls short. Normal service is

:05:43. > :05:52.resumed. Absolutely. Katherine on a good line. Keep it coming. That is a

:05:53. > :06:40.pity. That is a nuisance bowl for Andy. It

:06:41. > :06:43.is right in his line. He might be tempted to run down the backhand,

:06:44. > :06:53.there is a gap between the two green bowls. It actually looks quite good,

:06:54. > :06:59.John, I have to say. Katherine is there and she knows it. There is

:07:00. > :07:12.always a chance of getting the front bowl into it. A bit of a percentage

:07:13. > :07:21.shot on the backhand. Unlikely, very close. It took the closest bowl

:07:22. > :07:33.away, that is the only thing. It is unfortunate. Paul is taking it on

:07:34. > :07:43.the backhand side, he likes that side normally. He has not sent it.

:07:44. > :07:49.Goodness me. That is a couple of times Paul Foster has dropped one

:07:50. > :08:06.short when you thought it was given. Andy will be delighted with it.

:08:07. > :08:38.A good effort. It is not going absolutely right, there is something

:08:39. > :08:44.not gelling. I do not know what it is. They are a fraction away from

:08:45. > :08:49.being on top of this game. There were a couple of opportunities.

:08:50. > :09:02.Katherine missed out on a second bowl. They are still very much in

:09:03. > :09:05.the match. It is a long way to go. There is so little between the two

:09:06. > :09:28.pairs, and the girls have played very well. That is great quality,

:09:29. > :09:40.John. It really is. Very, very good stuff. In fairness to Katherine, she

:09:41. > :09:51.has stuck with Laura. She has not disintegrated under the pressure.

:09:52. > :09:56.That old she has played is a foot away. You would be happy most of the

:09:57. > :10:02.time and it gives her something to play two with her next bowl. Laura

:10:03. > :10:11.will be making sure she's through with this one. You can forgive one

:10:12. > :10:17.travelling through five or six feet when your first one has touched it.

:10:18. > :10:26.It was important to get past the jack but she overplayed it slightly.

:10:27. > :10:35.It is never easy. You do not get a lot of chance to practice it. Andy

:10:36. > :10:40.will be in some bother because he has no back position. Katherine has

:10:41. > :11:06.played a good opener and the second one has not been of the same

:11:07. > :11:28.standard. You lose possession. A useful place.

:11:29. > :11:38.Just the bowl, he just wants the bowl but it dropped away. That is

:11:39. > :11:45.what I have said, John. They have been very close and then they have

:11:46. > :11:53.not managed to get the shot. Paul needs to get another bowl in here.

:11:54. > :12:04.He has got a good track, lots of weight. He needs the right weight to

:12:05. > :12:09.come inside and push the jack back which would have taken the danger

:12:10. > :12:13.away. There are options here. There is a little shot on the other side

:12:14. > :12:29.but there is an element of danger. Yes, John. You are looking at the

:12:30. > :12:36.jack, which is moved into this position would be horrendous. If he

:12:37. > :12:44.gets the green ball, he has to gamble. He has to play with more

:12:45. > :12:50.weight. He sees the danger, it is up to him whether he plays it. If he

:12:51. > :12:54.gets it right he can lock in and play for free. If he gets it wrong,

:12:55. > :12:59.he has to pray that his own bowl comes with it. I think it is

:13:00. > :13:05.probably worth it. He is going to go 3-0 down in this set and although it

:13:06. > :13:23.is early days, I think it is a shot that is worth it. A very controlled

:13:24. > :13:50.shot. GROANING

:13:51. > :13:54.APPLAUSE The two boys are chatting about how

:13:55. > :13:57.hard the shot was, and it was a difficult shot, but I think it was

:13:58. > :14:01.the right one under the circumstances. You do not get too

:14:02. > :14:08.many opportunities in this format and if he had got it, he would have

:14:09. > :14:49.got away with it. The jack is 26 metres. Well played, Laura, up you

:14:50. > :15:03.come. A good start. It looks good, Katherine. A good bowl. Yes, you

:15:04. > :15:15.have played pairs in this format and you know that the lead is nailed

:15:16. > :15:23.with one ball. It is one of those events where you pray that your lead

:15:24. > :15:43.is on good form and if it is on good form it makes it easier. It looks

:15:44. > :15:56.good again. It is looking good. Will it stop? It has not. It was good.

:15:57. > :16:27.Any touch on the green bowl or the jack will help. He did not want to

:16:28. > :16:46.be too heavy on it. I think he might be holding shot. It is out in the

:16:47. > :16:51.open for Andy. On the backhand. A good line if he is running. A chance

:16:52. > :17:05.on this one. He is lacking the weight again. He is half a yard

:17:06. > :17:12.away. You have a theory? I think he's being too neat with the

:17:13. > :17:15.weight. He thinks if he is carrying too much weight he will not get

:17:16. > :17:20.back. He has been good with the line. That is the danger with the

:17:21. > :17:26.bowl that is running slightly straighter than normal. He may tell

:17:27. > :17:35.me otherwise after the match but I have a feeling that that is what it

:17:36. > :17:41.is. He has another chance and needs to find that foot or so to hold him

:17:42. > :17:51.into the bowl. Now then, Andy, a good line again. Again, it is the

:17:52. > :17:57.case that Katherine is talking about, but will he make it? Groaning

:17:58. > :18:14.macro a better line but you have got to swing the bowl. There has been

:18:15. > :18:20.five or six opportunities. He was not far away and it was a good

:18:21. > :18:33.effort. One foot off being perfect, really, wasn't he? Small mountains.

:18:34. > :18:41.Well, that is what the portable rink is all about, small margins. It is

:18:42. > :19:25.unique in its own way. The jack length is 29 metres.

:19:26. > :19:34.APPLAUSE That is a very good start. Not a bad

:19:35. > :19:52.connection. It fell off the scene and it is a good opener. Katherine

:19:53. > :20:03.will be happy with that. A long jack length. A big correction needed with

:20:04. > :20:17.this one. It is coming back well. Yes, that is not bad. It is only 12

:20:18. > :20:23.or 14 inches away. It has to be right up to the role at least, all

:20:24. > :20:31.behind. -- bowl. She is trying her best. It is a good tried but you are

:20:32. > :20:43.always thinking that you should reach the red bowl as a minimum.

:20:44. > :20:50.Yes, I mean, there is enough room for Foster to nail this. It would

:20:51. > :20:58.leave Andy with a problem because he does not have too bowl passed the

:20:59. > :21:07.jack. If you get your first one on it, do your best to get behind. Very

:21:08. > :21:16.close, Paul. It needs a clean jack. There you go. Nothing behind. He is

:21:17. > :21:26.fortunate in some ways that the jack has come out into the open. That was

:21:27. > :21:37.a beauty. Yellow -- he just overdid it.

:21:38. > :21:49.A good effort, Andy, again. It was lacking that bit of weight and was a

:21:50. > :22:02.little bit of gentle, a little bit tentative. It fell away and he knows

:22:03. > :22:10.it. Paul will almost always get back to his bowls. Well, it's dropped

:22:11. > :22:26.away. That will invite another shot from Andy with a bit of weight.

:22:27. > :22:40.It looks wide. It was always on the wide side. Groaning

:22:41. > :22:53.4-0, you are thinking, OK, we have time. 6-0 starts to get dodgy. Yes,

:22:54. > :23:02.I did say earlier on that the consistency might start to tell, and

:23:03. > :23:04.I think that is the case. The next two ends are going to be crucial,

:23:05. > :23:43.they need to score. We have a very good review down the

:23:44. > :24:00.rink. -- view. Keep going! Just a foot. Katherine, once again, very

:24:01. > :24:14.quick on the mat, her natural play. Well played, well done. It is good.

:24:15. > :24:20.Very good indeed. The last few ends, she is getting bowls in. She has

:24:21. > :24:27.played well, David. Sometimes you have to back up the opener. A loose

:24:28. > :24:37.end for Laura so there is a chance here... Anger this one in. Take your

:24:38. > :24:47.time. At another shot. -- bang this one in. Well played, Catherine. This

:24:48. > :24:58.is good. Very good. This is the idea. That is brilliant. Applause.

:24:59. > :25:05.And will always be encouraging and knows he has missed a few chances

:25:06. > :25:15.himself, and he is probably kicking himself for those. She is 18 years

:25:16. > :25:23.of age and with a crowd like this and on television, John... Yes,

:25:24. > :25:31.indeed. Now, Mr Foster, will you unleash the big artillery? No, he

:25:32. > :25:37.will not. He is playing with controlled weight. Controlled weight

:25:38. > :26:05.it is. Andy will need to replace that. A good effort with that weight

:26:06. > :26:14.by Paul. Well played. APPLAUSE

:26:15. > :26:23.A good bowl. I think that might force Paul on the other side. The

:26:24. > :26:30.run is still there. Good options by Laura. There is always an option.

:26:31. > :26:41.6-0 down, you do not want to lose 83. Sorry, 6-0 up, you do not want

:26:42. > :26:47.to lose a three. They are still in a strong position in the second set.

:26:48. > :26:52.You would not vote against this guy drawing it but he is capable. He is

:26:53. > :26:58.trying. He has to get past the green. That is a good third, though.

:26:59. > :27:13.That will be difficult for Andy to add another. I do not like the

:27:14. > :27:23.forehand much, John. No commie has to go backhand. That is the ultimate

:27:24. > :27:30.Highline drift, there. It is not easy. It will need to be the perfect

:27:31. > :27:35.wait for him to get a swing with that bowl. It will be difficult. I

:27:36. > :27:58.think he has to try it. He does not need to get to the jack. Again, he

:27:59. > :28:06.was more on the inside line. If anything, he should have been on the

:28:07. > :28:10.high. I think they may be changing those bowls for the singles. They

:28:11. > :28:16.will not be using them because they are different colour, David. I was

:28:17. > :28:24.thinking of the model. Maybe it is just that particular set. I always

:28:25. > :28:28.think the greens are a little bit narrower than the reds, I do not

:28:29. > :28:38.know why, there is no reason for it. It is the same manufacturing

:28:39. > :28:54.process. The jack length is 25 metres. Anything can happen, Dave.

:28:55. > :29:01.It is all about momentum, isn't it? Keep it coming. OK, Katherine, all

:29:02. > :29:07.right. It is always fun to look at Andy Thomson, he is very much a

:29:08. > :29:29.Scot. Well, both players are just dropping

:29:30. > :29:35.short with their first deliveries, the match is well up the rink. It is

:29:36. > :29:47.slightly different in terms of the line. She has made the correction

:29:48. > :30:20.with her second bowl. No mistake. Good girl. I would expect Laura to

:30:21. > :30:27.do the same. It must be struggling. Paul is calling it. It is a good

:30:28. > :30:42.effort. I would say the next bowl boundary is critical. -- down the

:30:43. > :30:59.rink is critical. Andy needs this one in.

:31:00. > :31:22.Looking good. That is exactly what he needed to do. Well played.

:31:23. > :31:28.Somebody has gone walkabout in the audience and Paul is not very

:31:29. > :31:43.impressed. He is just trying to compose himself.

:31:44. > :32:00.What an effort this is. It is not going to make Andy's job easy. We

:32:01. > :32:07.knew he would be very close. Andy has got to be careful that he does

:32:08. > :32:12.not get back side on the red and drop it down. You do not want to

:32:13. > :32:21.give shots away when you are trailing. It is a set he must win.

:32:22. > :32:28.He is not getting back inside so he has to hope it does not drop on

:32:29. > :32:36.him... No harm done. You do not want to get the back end of the red. The

:32:37. > :32:38.problem for Paul is can he generated enough weight to get past the front

:32:39. > :33:03.green ball to turn the bowl out? The difficulty is this one up here,

:33:04. > :33:09.because that is difficult for him to get past to generate enough weight

:33:10. > :33:18.to get back onto the red. If he does play the forehand it could drop back

:33:19. > :33:21.on the jack. If he is playing it would be a very quiet draw. It needs

:33:22. > :33:45.to bend. Didn't want it to run. What an effort. A couple more

:33:46. > :33:46.singles and we are going to have a very interesting finish to the

:33:47. > :35:15.second set. It is all about wage now -- it is

:35:16. > :35:49.all about weight now. That was a good try.

:35:50. > :35:57.I do not think it will be dropping short. It would stop Andy driving

:35:58. > :36:11.it, but I do not think it will be that. He has got a shoulder to use

:36:12. > :36:21.on the green ball, just short of jack high. Not much in it. That will

:36:22. > :36:28.be the cover for what Foster will be looking for. -- that will be the

:36:29. > :36:41.cover bowl. It does not want to get to the jack.

:36:42. > :36:51.The green is good. That was a good result. His weight is so good. Andy

:36:52. > :36:55.is under a bit of pressure here. He has to go looking for the jack a

:36:56. > :37:03.little bit to make a movement so he has got to use more weight. But

:37:04. > :37:12.almost looks under. -- that almost looks under. It is probably going to

:37:13. > :37:17.be three. You would favour Paul to get this one then. I just felt that

:37:18. > :37:23.a second wouldn't have been the worst thing on the forehand.

:37:24. > :37:29.Dropping one would not have been the end of the world. He could be

:37:30. > :37:34.dropping a three now. That would be almost fatal. That is the sort of

:37:35. > :38:14.thing you expect Foster to drop. Six shots, , three ends to go. They

:38:15. > :38:25.will need AmeriCorps. -- a miracle. I think Thomson and Foster are too

:38:26. > :38:29.strong to give away the lead. You can effectively carry a shot over

:38:30. > :38:36.into the second set if you win the first set. This is not easy to do.

:38:37. > :38:37.They need to strike back with a three or four this end to give

:38:38. > :39:01.themselves any chance. Once again, she is in there. Looking

:39:02. > :39:11.very good again. Katherine has matched her on many occasions.

:39:12. > :39:24.Good try, good position. I played in this mixed pairs a couple of times.

:39:25. > :39:36.I was very lucky to have Carol Ashby leading for me. Paul Foster has had

:39:37. > :39:44.to play some very good balls in this match. Although that was meant to be

:39:45. > :39:49.a bit further on, it has turned out to be a good one. That is when you

:39:50. > :39:59.know you are having a good day, you play a cover and it ends up close to

:40:00. > :40:06.the jack. Katherine is down on the forehand side, looking to get a bit

:40:07. > :40:14.of movement. That is no harm. You have got to be up to it in that

:40:15. > :40:20.situation. It leaves Paul to make the cover bowl. He will be very

:40:21. > :41:01.happy with that. Andy is looking for a big delivery

:41:02. > :41:27.here now. Very good line. Will he get back? At the moment, green have

:41:28. > :41:33.got the spot, but I think Paul is looking to drop in on the green bowl

:41:34. > :41:38.again here. He has got options to either try and kill its, or who

:41:39. > :41:49.plays the same bowl. He has got the spot. This could be all over. If he

:41:50. > :41:57.strikes it will go dead. He has got to hit it.

:41:58. > :42:13.Two shots to read, -- red, and that will be at.

:42:14. > :42:21.Good final. Katherine Rednall played well. Andy Thomson slightly off on

:42:22. > :42:27.occasions. The consistency of Laura and Paul were too much on this

:42:28. > :42:32.occasion. Good game. Overall, the best pair one. More consistent and

:42:33. > :42:34.Laura probably takes man of the match. She was a great platform for

:42:35. > :42:48.Paul. They are worthy winners. There are always key moments in

:42:49. > :42:55.every match. We see Paul Foster dropping in for a three in the ninth

:42:56. > :43:03.end. It took them forward into the last two ends. Once again, Laura

:43:04. > :43:10.Thomas doing the business. She taps the jack back across to the red bowl

:43:11. > :43:21.and that is enough to win the set. A key moment for the Foster

:43:22. > :43:30.partnership on the eighth end. Everything seemed to be in favour of

:43:31. > :43:34.Paul Foster and Laura Thomas. They had twice the number of touches. In

:43:35. > :43:39.many ways the statistics prove that they deserved to win and they really

:43:40. > :43:41.are where the weather is -- worthy winners. Laura Thomas, once again,

:43:42. > :43:53.the star of the show. 12 minutes ago -- months ago they

:43:54. > :43:57.were here and they are back again. Laura, a lot of plaudits going to

:43:58. > :44:07.you. You were on fire from the start. I am just glad I saved my

:44:08. > :44:12.best bowls for the final. Paul did his job to get us there. It is just

:44:13. > :44:22.working as a pair. I am pleased. You work well together. Yes, we do. In

:44:23. > :44:29.the quarterfinal and semifinal, Laura played well but not as good as

:44:30. > :44:36.she can. And I wanted to say what a fantastic performance Katherine put

:44:37. > :44:47.in today as well. Worth mentioning Andy and Katherine, who have played

:44:48. > :44:54.well. It must have been a tough task for Katherine, did you have any

:44:55. > :44:58.empathy? I have watched for the past couple of days playing singles. She

:44:59. > :45:04.has no nerves, I not know where they go. She is a credit to herself. She

:45:05. > :45:10.will be a threat in the years to come. Paul, you are only the third

:45:11. > :45:16.pair to win the title again, to defend it successfully. In terms of

:45:17. > :45:22.achievements, where does that rang? It is right up there. To defend any

:45:23. > :45:30.title is difficult because it is such a high standard. It is a

:45:31. > :45:40.fantastic field. To come back defenders is pleasing. Yesterday,

:45:41. > :45:45.the men's pairs winners said they would have a quiet night, what about

:45:46. > :45:50.you, Laura? I will do the same. Your champions, Paul Foster and Laura

:45:51. > :45:58.Thomas. Time for the presentation. Time to join our MC. It is indeed

:45:59. > :46:02.presentation time. You do make the presentation we have the head of

:46:03. > :46:07.marketing and communications for Just Retirement and the chief

:46:08. > :46:18.executive officer of World Bowls Tour. To receive the runners-up

:46:19. > :46:24.cheque, your appreciation for Katherine Rednall and Andy Thomson.

:46:25. > :46:49.APPLAUSE. And now to the winners. Receiving a

:46:50. > :46:56.glass goblet each, a cheque and their title of champions, Laura

:46:57. > :47:14.Thomas and Paul Foster! APPLAUSE.

:47:15. > :47:21.Ladies and gentlemen, they have done it for the second year in

:47:22. > :47:33.succession. 2014 Just Retirement mixed pairs match play champions,

:47:34. > :47:49.Laura Thomas and Paul Foster. APPLAUSE.

:47:50. > :47:55.Two trophies done and dusted with two more up for grabs in the

:47:56. > :47:59.women's singles and men's signals. More good bowls coming up this week.

:48:00. > :48:08.Here are the ways you can watch it on the BBC...

:48:09. > :48:11.There are more ways than ever to enjoy it. As well as extensive

:48:12. > :48:18.highlights on BBC Two and the red button, you can enjoy it on a range

:48:19. > :48:24.of devices. We are online. You can use the BBC Sport app on your mobile

:48:25. > :48:30.or tablet and you can use selected games consoles. You can also catch

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:48:41. > :48:50.don't forget to follow the Bbc Sport website for the latest news.

:48:51. > :49:12.Good stuff coming up tomorrow. We are on the red button at 10am.

:49:13. > :49:26.Time for the men's singles. It features two look glad to know which

:49:27. > :49:31.other very well. -- local lads. Nicky Brett is on the money.

:49:32. > :49:49.Yesterday he added the Paris world title. -- parents. Foster was on the

:49:50. > :49:57.receiving end in the hair is -- pairs. I'm over the moon. It is a

:49:58. > :50:07.proud moment to actually call yourself a world champion. Nice guy

:50:08. > :50:10.Nicky is the number ten ranked player but he is provisionally

:50:11. > :50:18.ranked as high as the Batu for 2014. How has Nicky Brett stepped his game

:50:19. > :50:22.up and found the steely and competitive edge? I have learned

:50:23. > :50:29.that sometimes you have to play a good bowl and if you miss, you

:50:30. > :50:34.don't. It is whether or not you want to put the pressure on yourself. Try

:50:35. > :50:39.and take the pressure off and deliver the right bowl at the right

:50:40. > :50:45.time, rather than chasing the game. I have probably been playing decent

:50:46. > :50:51.for three or four seasons, but not getting over the line in games where

:50:52. > :50:56.you need to get over the line. Honestly, it has been a fantastic

:50:57. > :51:04.couple of months and I am hoping it will continue a bit longer. After

:51:05. > :51:09.the euphoria yesterday, today it is back to business in the singles with

:51:10. > :51:16.Brett flying single against Mervyn King, the 2006 champion and a player

:51:17. > :51:21.he knows very well. He is a good friend of mine. We played together

:51:22. > :51:26.internationally for a couple of years. He is one of the best draw

:51:27. > :51:34.players. When he needs to he can run as well. It will be a massive task.

:51:35. > :51:39.I played him quite a bit and his first two bowls are fabulous. I know

:51:40. > :51:48.I have got to not leave myself in trouble. The affable Norfolk

:51:49. > :51:52.gamekeeper is approaching legend status, but the last couple of years

:51:53. > :52:01.have not done his talent justice. He is still a formidable opponent and a

:52:02. > :52:07.destructive player on his day, but he knows Nicky Brett is difficult to

:52:08. > :52:12.snare. After winning the Scottish, he is not the sort of person you

:52:13. > :52:16.want to come up against in the second round. I have got to do my

:52:17. > :52:21.best to beat him. I know him well because I played with him on the

:52:22. > :52:27.England side. I know what he can do and he can play well. I have got to

:52:28. > :52:32.be at my best. One man who knows the strengths and weaknesses of post is

:52:33. > :52:38.Brett's playing partner, Greg Harlow. He sees an intriguing shoot

:52:39. > :52:44.out ahead. Brett is the on form man. He has been a great player for a lot

:52:45. > :52:47.of years. He broke onto the circuit three years ago and is getting

:52:48. > :52:51.stronger and stronger. He has a positive attitude. He draws well but

:52:52. > :52:58.he likes to attack if he gets the chance. Mervyn King is the man who

:52:59. > :53:03.has been around for a long time and won practically everything in the

:53:04. > :53:07.game. And mostly twice or three times over. He is never to be

:53:08. > :53:13.discarded. His main strength is his draw. If he gets on his game early

:53:14. > :53:18.he will put three or four bowls round the jack. If that happens then

:53:19. > :53:26.Nick will have to bring out his attacking game and we will see

:53:27. > :53:33.fireworks. So, which will prevail in great's -- great's estimation? I

:53:34. > :53:35.would say at the moment, Nick has got the momentum. It really is

:53:36. > :54:02.50-50. Corky is alongside me. We have got a

:54:03. > :54:06.really good match. This will be high quality stuff. We have a player on

:54:07. > :54:11.the up with Nicky Brett. How do you see this unfolding? I think Nicky

:54:12. > :54:15.will be very close to taking Mervyn. He was not brilliant in the

:54:16. > :54:19.pairs and I think he will get better on this one. Sometimes you drop a

:54:20. > :54:25.little bit. His partner brought him through. Mervyn will be his usual

:54:26. > :54:33.self, consistent, drawing all the time. Tie-break, Nicky Brett. Nicky

:54:34. > :54:38.break is -- Nicky Brett is up to number two in the world rankings.

:54:39. > :54:43.What is his secret to climbing up the ladder? He has always been a

:54:44. > :54:49.prolific winner of national titles. It is just getting the break and he

:54:50. > :54:54.has had it. He has beaten Paul Foster in a major final. He fears no

:54:55. > :54:57.one. It is worth having a look at the betting. There are some

:54:58. > :55:07.interesting prices. Everyone always says Paul Foster is

:55:08. > :55:30.the man to beat, even the players. There was a time, if you saw Mervyn

:55:31. > :55:37.King at 14-1, you would have been scrabbling for a loose change to put

:55:38. > :55:41.on him. Anderson is the man to put the money on. But who will come out

:55:42. > :55:47.on top between Nicky Brett and Mervyn King? It is times to get

:55:48. > :55:52.things under way and join our MC. Ladies and gentlemen, this world

:55:53. > :55:59.number ten has proven time and again what a formidable opponent he can

:56:00. > :56:00.be. The reigning Scottish international champion, give it up

:56:01. > :56:30.for a Nick Brett. It is always a delight to welcome

:56:31. > :56:31.this local hero, reigning Commonwealth Games silver

:56:32. > :57:13.medallist, it is Mervyn King. Mervyn King up against a very good

:57:14. > :57:22.friend and international colleague in Nicky Brett. Not going to be much

:57:23. > :57:34.between these two, is there? It will be a very close game. Mervyn King

:57:35. > :57:50.was introduced to the Fistful Of Dollars theme. He knows how to use a

:57:51. > :57:51.gun! Never happier, Mervyn King, whenever he is out working. He is an

:57:52. > :59:49.outdoor guy. It's the sign of a man in confident

:59:50. > :59:53.mood. Well, he will be left with no choice but to attack this. You won't

:59:54. > :59:57.want to in the first end, but I don't think he's got much choice

:59:58. > :00:02.from that sitting. He can play anything from two or three yards, or

:00:03. > :00:08.the full drive. He could play anything to the right connection.

:00:09. > :00:13.Usually plays quite controlled, Mervyn. This looks a bit on the high

:00:14. > :00:20.side. He has got his own bowl though. That is a big result on its

:00:21. > :00:26.own. Wasn't far away, but a wry smile. He will take it. He knows he

:00:27. > :00:27.got away with that. It looked wide on the way down. He got a good

:00:28. > :00:40.result on the green bowl. He won't want to do is up all his

:00:41. > :00:44.nine lives early in the match, Dave. Indeed not. This is to drop on the

:00:45. > :00:50.green. If he misses the front green, he can get on the back one.

:00:51. > :00:56.Not going to make any difference anyway. A good test for Nick Brett,

:00:57. > :01:20.that last bowl. I just felt Nick was a little bit

:01:21. > :01:28.off form in the pairs final, John. And, because of that, just something

:01:29. > :01:36.tells me he will move up a gear. Didn't play badly, by any means, but

:01:37. > :01:42.wasn't on his absolute best. Totally different, of course. That feel-good

:01:43. > :01:48.factor with four bowls, you can relax a little bit. Fatal with one.

:01:49. > :02:17.Mervyn hasn't gone into his normal drawing with them yet.

:02:18. > :02:57.-- rhythm. That's better from Mervyn.

:02:58. > :03:00.Such a good draw to the jack, Mervyn King. Once you get into a rhythm,

:03:01. > :03:33.he's very, very hard to put down. UMPIRE: The gap is two inches.

:03:34. > :03:39.Players careers often fluctuate little bit and Mervyn King, at one

:03:40. > :03:48.stage, was number three in the world for three or four years. Back in the

:03:49. > :03:55.late 90s. Dropped down to almost a stage of not bothering any more.

:03:56. > :04:01.Decided to play in one last qualifier, came through, and when

:04:02. > :04:06.the world signals. And, once again, he has kept his place in the top 16.

:04:07. > :04:12.It was some comfort, to be honest. He is such a good player. His

:04:13. > :04:14.temporary class is permanent and Mervyn is a class act, as is this

:04:15. > :04:37.man, Nick Brett. UMPIRE: The last bowl is heartening

:04:38. > :04:38.is short of jack high. The gap is eight inches and 12 inches short of

:04:39. > :05:02.jack high. CROWD GASPS

:05:03. > :05:38.Good effort. Not far away. Mickey Brett takes a single. -- Nick Brett.

:05:39. > :05:48.Never easy coming out after the euphoria of a final. There's always

:05:49. > :05:52.a lot of crowd movement, people going for a rest, comfort break.

:05:53. > :05:59.It's not an easy match, this one, the mid-afternoon game, is it? Yes,

:06:00. > :06:04.you're wondering if it's going to be a fast much, slow match. You have to

:06:05. > :06:11.be at the venue but fortunately for these players, they are staying here

:06:12. > :06:15.at the venue are very close. Certainly an awful lot easier than

:06:16. > :06:43.having to travel may be two hours before.

:06:44. > :07:44.Drops a little bit. A good chance to get onto his front

:07:45. > :08:02.one just to push it in. This is a better line in. Just

:08:03. > :08:26.didn't drop. Nicky holding on his wallet and all

:08:27. > :08:38.that money. It's not an easy position for Nick. Just once to pass

:08:39. > :08:42.his own bowl, really. Good weight. --

:08:43. > :09:12.he could drop the green one out. Oh, yes. It looks like number one.

:09:13. > :09:21.Mervyn just sticking with the draw. Most players wouldn't go near that.

:09:22. > :09:25.It has got a bowl right in front. A lot of danger with it. Not Mervyn

:09:26. > :09:39.King. He doesn't worry about things like that. How often does he do

:09:40. > :09:43.that? That's why they call him Merwe -- Merv the Swerve. Plenty of room.

:09:44. > :10:11.He does that so often. It's been a long and very successful

:10:12. > :10:20.career for Mervyn King. Very happy, contented man off the

:10:21. > :11:19.rink, and that helps considerably. Starting to get in the groove now.

:11:20. > :11:26.He is indeed. Just around the back of the bowl, two touch is first two

:11:27. > :11:28.bowls. He could be tempted to run. Yes, he is. He is a very aggressive

:11:29. > :11:43.player. Perfect two bowls and a touch. Great

:11:44. > :11:47.when it works, John, but a lot of pressure when you start missing.

:11:48. > :11:51.Yes, I think that's what this game is going to be. Mervyn will try to

:11:52. > :11:57.crowd the jack and ask some questions of Nicky. He knows that is

:11:58. > :12:09.the way to beat him if he can add draw him. Put another one back

:12:10. > :12:11.there. -- out draw him. Nick, you have got to draw with this one,

:12:12. > :12:55.surely? Yes, he is indeed. Good again. Oh, look at this. Four

:12:56. > :13:02.perfect bowls. This sums up Mervyn King. If he drops his first one in,

:13:03. > :13:06.he is within inches, David, and that is him for you. It has always been

:13:07. > :13:11.his strength. He could play the weight shot but the strength is on

:13:12. > :13:17.the drop shot. He has to drive this. Hoping to get the jack.

:13:18. > :13:28.Looks a little bit under. Oh, he just got it. Jack up the rink. It's

:13:29. > :13:33.rare that that happens. He was on target.

:13:34. > :13:44.. Hit the target. Can't fault that. Yes, it's not a lucky result, John,

:13:45. > :13:48.but one of those things that happens. He was bang on target. I

:13:49. > :13:50.thought he would slide under it but it worked in his favour, getting on

:13:51. > :14:02.the inside of the jack. I think that sets the tone for the

:14:03. > :14:08.match, though. Mervyn trying to draw them in and Nicky playing a few

:14:09. > :15:07.shots. He's going to give first, I think it's going to be.

:15:08. > :15:24.This one is good. APPLAUSE

:15:25. > :16:18.UMPIRE: One lengths. That's a good bowl by Nick. Mervyn

:16:19. > :16:20.will stick to the draw side here. This is to drop past the front

:16:21. > :16:36.green. Good weight. Short of weight. Didn't look too

:16:37. > :16:39.good out of his hand. I thought he might have been tempted actually on

:16:40. > :16:44.the backhand just to arrive at the red bowler. He knows that he pushes

:16:45. > :16:45.it too far, he will still only be one down and there's always a

:16:46. > :16:56.chance. It's certainly not that cold out

:16:57. > :17:04.there. I think he's on his way to go skiing. He just needs to look

:17:05. > :17:08.outside. I see fog. He could be an Arsenal supporter got lost on the

:17:09. > :17:22.motorway. I'm not going to say a word. The waiver Swans are going for

:17:23. > :17:26.you, John. Yes, it's not been the best of starts, this season, but we

:17:27. > :17:33.will see. A long way to go yet. Now then, Mervyn, 13 seconds on the

:17:34. > :17:39.clock. Time to get down there and deliver. Easy action with Mervyn.

:17:40. > :17:44.It's always been the same, very relaxed, very gentle. A difficult

:17:45. > :17:56.shot here to try to arrive between the bowls. And get the jack. 16

:17:57. > :17:59.inches short. Looking for absolute dead weight and you drop in short,

:18:00. > :18:09.that's forgiveable. These include there was justice, really. Nick

:18:10. > :18:46.Brett has been very steady. He has used the hit shot very effectively.

:18:47. > :19:23.4-1 down. How many within a foot of a jack? Yes, he's played really

:19:24. > :19:31.well. But Nicky is an all-round player. He has got all the shots.

:19:32. > :19:35.Not easy to get Counts of him. He is playing with a lot of confidence,

:19:36. > :19:38.Nick. And so he should coming off the back of the Scottish

:19:39. > :19:41.International where he beat Paul Foster in the finals. I don't think

:19:42. > :19:54.Nick fears anyone. It's interesting. He has taken those

:19:55. > :20:01.two events, the singles event in Scotland, and there are real odds on

:20:02. > :20:05.Nicky clearing up this season. An interesting bet, that. Yes, you

:20:06. > :20:10.would properly get very good odds for that, but this... There's too

:20:11. > :20:16.many good players around at the moment.

:20:17. > :20:31.Mervyn King has played super Bowls in this set so far on the sixth and

:20:32. > :20:32.underscored one shot. -- end. Now, can you get under your own front

:20:33. > :20:43.bowl full Mervyn must be tempted to crunch

:20:44. > :20:46.this but still looking at the forehand. He may have been tempted

:20:47. > :20:55.to crunch the bowl into the jack into the green and half it away

:20:56. > :20:59.would be good. Oh, he has dropped this one. Where is it going to

:21:00. > :21:22.finish? That is not good. That is not going to help.

:21:23. > :21:28.Very difficult for him to do much with this. He has to be very

:21:29. > :21:34.careful. Doesn't want to drop the green bowl down. Like that. Oh,

:21:35. > :21:37.straight up. I think about dropped, it would have been on the green but

:21:38. > :21:46.I think Mervyn will take a chance now. -- I think if that had

:21:47. > :21:51.dropped. His game tends to be drawing. There is a shot down there.

:21:52. > :21:56.He gets off the other red bowl the other side and goes the other way.

:21:57. > :22:04.That's not his mentality, you see. He is an out and out draw bowler.

:22:05. > :22:10.That is a last resort for Mervyn. Close as well, Dave. No need to play

:22:11. > :22:16.weight when you control like this. He is not getting a shot buffer

:22:17. > :22:23.problem, John. He is 4-1 down and has had three ends and down and

:22:24. > :22:29.public 11 bowls within a foot, and he still only scored one shot. At

:22:30. > :22:32.some stage, you have to say to yourself, I must change my pattern

:22:33. > :22:39.and I think that was a good opportunity to play. We are down to

:22:40. > :22:45.nine ands in this set until the final. Three ends to go with five in

:22:46. > :23:14.front. Peter Brewer is going well. 5-1. It's a close game. Nothing in

:23:15. > :23:30.it. A cracking game. Quality. But they just comes a time when you

:23:31. > :23:35.are playing great stuff and not scoring, you have to do something.

:23:36. > :23:40.Even to loosen the game up a little bit. There's no sense in looking

:23:41. > :23:45.really pretty, John, but losing. Sometimes you are better off

:23:46. > :23:47.roughing it up a little bit. Making a bit scratchy and loose. And start

:23:48. > :24:05.to school shots. -- school shots. -- just overplayed those two. A chance

:24:06. > :24:20.for Mervyn. Doesn't seem to be sure about that

:24:21. > :24:28.one when he let it go. Not bad, Dave. Absolutely. It's not bad, but

:24:29. > :24:31.it's a target and Mervyn knows that and Nicky normally has a tendency to

:24:32. > :24:34.go for targets and he does need the close bowl. He is just drawing to

:24:35. > :24:51.it. There is the correction force of

:24:52. > :25:01.will it stop in time? Probably second.

:25:02. > :25:13.Suzanne, Mervyn's wife. She is a very good player. Didn't really

:25:14. > :25:24.start until Mervyn came into her life. Lovely lady. Look at this.

:25:25. > :25:27.There he goes again. Machine-like. I think it will go now. Straight into

:25:28. > :25:56.this bowl on the jack, jack through. The first miss for Nicky. It is a

:25:57. > :26:00.costly one. A very costly miss. I didn't think he would miss that on

:26:01. > :26:25.the high side. It was really always the way to go, inside it.

:26:26. > :26:37.This could be a let off. Has he got there? I don't think he has. And

:26:38. > :26:42.missed chance. Nick is very good on making a measure so it's only two

:26:43. > :26:52.shots. It should have been three. A lifeline for Mervyn King. Yes, he

:26:53. > :27:05.still in their set. -- he is still in the set. Two to play. Still a

:27:06. > :27:09.hard one to call, because Mervyn will be touring, as close as ever

:27:10. > :27:14.and it's down to whether Nicky can match that.

:27:15. > :27:30.Can he get out of trouble with his running bowls? Contrasting styles.

:27:31. > :28:18.Dropped that one short. He has, but it is given Nick chance

:28:19. > :28:24.to adjust for this one, get it close. Take the pressure off having

:28:25. > :28:31.to pay the running bowl later in the end.

:28:32. > :28:52.If you play one that will loose bowl, suddenly you are in trouble.

:28:53. > :29:06.-- little loose role. Side touching. It's not too bad,

:29:07. > :29:10.John, as long as somebody can put you into trouble. It's when the

:29:11. > :29:17.heads are all blocked up and they put one in behind.

:29:18. > :29:23.He has to clear the front green one. He doesn't want to hit it in for

:29:24. > :29:33.another one. Look at this. Bad results. A slight touch on the jack

:29:34. > :29:36.as well so it's a minimum two. You know what's coming with the next

:29:37. > :29:48.bowler. What does Mervyn do? He has got options here. Possibly the spot.

:29:49. > :29:52.Well, if we are looking at this, where is it going to go? You would

:29:53. > :29:59.expect the jack to end up over here somewhere. The red bowl is a

:30:00. > :30:05.problem. So where does he go for cover, John? Does he go into this

:30:06. > :30:09.area and try to cover both? Very difficult to cover both areas, Dave,

:30:10. > :30:15.isn't it? The answer of the jack flies out to that position at five

:30:16. > :30:32.o'clock there. Well, let's see. He's going.

:30:33. > :30:44.He has missed the width but he has got the depth round the back. Either

:30:45. > :30:54.way, it is going to be hit. He is on target this time. And he has run off

:30:55. > :31:08.it! It has cost him. He looked like he was on target. Three shots to

:31:09. > :31:18.Mervyn King. Good travel from Mervyn, just at the right time. He

:31:19. > :31:26.has been threatening once or twice, hasn't he? He has had a couple of

:31:27. > :31:37.very good results, but ultimately, matches are won by the draw shot.

:31:38. > :31:46.Generally speaking, they are won on the draw shot. I think Nick really

:31:47. > :31:58.needs to start matching Mervyn on the first two balls -- bowls.

:31:59. > :32:09.That is loose for Mervyn, isn't it? So important for Nick to get the

:32:10. > :32:21.advantage on this end. Here is number one coming in. Just enough. I

:32:22. > :32:40.do not know if it will be close enough. Not to win the end.

:32:41. > :32:56.Good adjustment. He has really played two pro ball one after the

:32:57. > :33:06.other. This looks like a very narrow line. He is using a slightly

:33:07. > :33:15.narrower bowl. A lot of players have opted for those. A couple of yards

:33:16. > :33:24.of weight is difficult with any bowl. It is. Mervyn is trying to

:33:25. > :33:32.encourage this forward. I get the impression he has dropped it. He

:33:33. > :33:40.has. It is not bad. He can still get around it, though. The target has

:33:41. > :33:50.been narrowed by probably half a bowl. So, you are drawing to a blind

:33:51. > :33:59.target. This is much better. He has got it.

:34:00. > :34:04.APPLAUSE. Different weight, played for the

:34:05. > :34:11.single. It is not going to be easy to make a double out of it. Nick

:34:12. > :34:17.will be very relieved to try and get something out of this set. It is not

:34:18. > :34:18.done and dusted yet. This man is more than capable of getting it

:34:19. > :34:39.back. What will Nick play? Dangerous on

:34:40. > :34:45.the backhand. Could play similar to his own on the forehand, drop inside

:34:46. > :34:50.of the green. Absolutely safe, or at least he would be lucky to hit the

:34:51. > :34:57.outside of the green. Not much reaction out of Suzanne. She has

:34:58. > :35:02.seen it all before. The thing is for Nicky, it is a backhand shot if he

:35:03. > :35:14.wants to draw another. He will have to be delicate with the weight. It

:35:15. > :35:20.is the old drift shot, coming off a high line. This is all about

:35:21. > :35:33.weight. He cannot afford to be too heavy. He has played it! What a

:35:34. > :35:39.wonderful bowl. Good forehand, then on the backhand, scores the double

:35:40. > :35:43.and says thank you very much. Great bowl. He was brave enough. He was

:35:44. > :35:49.confident in his own ability, open draw, doesn't get better than that.

:35:50. > :35:56.Didn't he say in the interview before the match, playing the right

:35:57. > :36:05.bowl at the right time? It is fair to say he took it against the run of

:36:06. > :36:10.play over the whole set. His all-round play, his ability to

:36:11. > :36:22.attack and play the runners saved him in the early part of the set. In

:36:23. > :36:52.the end, it was the draw shot which has won the set for him.

:36:53. > :37:30.Look at this again, Dave. Brilliant. Just drops back. Hardly loose stuff,

:37:31. > :37:31.is it? For any aspiring players at home, this is what you want to get

:37:32. > :37:54.to, this level. If you are going to mix it with the

:37:55. > :38:03.big boys, this is the level you have to attain, John. You know, you have

:38:04. > :38:06.done it. And it is doing it in this sort of environment, television

:38:07. > :38:08.cameras, big crowd. He does it again, drops back, makes three off

:38:09. > :38:35.the bowl. It is getting down in time... Wow,

:38:36. > :38:45.he got his own bowl across the rink. He has taken one out. I

:38:46. > :38:59.thought he was getting both greens away. One green! Incredible result.

:39:00. > :39:05.I would like to see that again. I think you will have to take a

:39:06. > :39:11.time-out. It really looked like he was getting both greens away. Nick

:39:12. > :39:31.has two time-outs. Wonderful result, no doubt about

:39:32. > :39:38.that. Nick has a chance. This is a difficult wait to play, though. Will

:39:39. > :39:49.he get down in time? It was holding all the way. We can see it better,

:39:50. > :39:55.but the crowd could not. They must have thought it was on target. Any

:39:56. > :40:01.connection would have given him three or four. What is Mervyn King

:40:02. > :40:11.to do? -- what is Mervyn going to do?

:40:12. > :40:42.He was not very keen. He is having a good look at it. Want a green. That

:40:43. > :41:30.was one end were Mervyn King got out of jail.

:41:31. > :41:36.It is a good standard, and it is going to get better as the week goes

:41:37. > :41:50.on. This really is like a world final. We have had some fantastic

:41:51. > :41:55.matches. Tell you what, you do not win this championship by being

:41:56. > :41:58.average. No, you have to be extremely good but also on

:41:59. > :42:08.occasions, carry a little bit of luck. That is a good second. Now he

:42:09. > :42:51.has got position at the back as well.

:42:52. > :43:19.He just needs to Harry a little bit. Again, perfect line, perfect weight.

:43:20. > :43:29.What sort of connection is he getting? That is brilliant.

:43:30. > :43:43.Follow-through, bang on target. He got the maximum results. They are

:43:44. > :43:59.both in. The standard is so good. It is really high quality stuff. Good

:44:00. > :44:08.line from Mervyn. It is going to drop short. It is not far away, it

:44:09. > :44:11.has just got to run from there. Oh, you have the trained eye. That is

:44:12. > :44:41.why you are in the pilot seat! He has to be careful. He does not

:44:42. > :44:50.want to get clean jack. He made the two. That was not really a spare

:44:51. > :45:01.shot opportunity. He had to make that one. There was a lot of danger,

:45:02. > :45:06.both in front and behind. He will be looking at this match and thinking,

:45:07. > :45:20.how did this happen? It has not happened yet, but at the moment,

:45:21. > :45:28.Nick is very confident, playing all the shots. It is difficult to say

:45:29. > :45:32.what to do. The danger is you put yourself off, but he needs to shake

:45:33. > :46:17.it up a bit, he needs to do something different.

:46:18. > :46:59.Wonderful effort again by Mickey Brett. -- Nicky Brett.

:47:00. > :47:12.Nicky is attacking. He does not look happy about it. I thought he might

:47:13. > :47:20.have drama bowl in again. -- drawn that in.

:47:21. > :47:30.We have just had a malfunction of the shot clock. It won't disturb

:47:31. > :47:43.them. It runs down from 30 seconds to zero. There was a technical

:47:44. > :47:58.hitch. But it proves that the buzzer is working, which is no bad thing.

:47:59. > :48:06.It has not really disturbed him! The front is just not quite as sweet.

:48:07. > :48:14.Brilliant bowl again, just tidied it up. Still there, for Nicky Brett,

:48:15. > :48:17.just not quite as easy. One of the green bowls should lock in and he

:48:18. > :48:31.might go heavier at this. Should be closer. That was a maximum results,

:48:32. > :48:40.wasn't it? It was just off target, certainly not bang on. Mervyn will

:48:41. > :49:01.be thinking, what have I got to do here? Mervyn deciding to come in

:49:02. > :49:25.with his backhand. He is looking good, I have to say. Yes, indeed...

:49:26. > :50:05.One-shot to Mervyn King. -- one-shot. He only just made it.

:50:06. > :50:41.Nothing between these two players. Sometimes you get very pretty games

:50:42. > :50:46.where the bowling is superb and you play well, but you lose.

:50:47. > :50:51.Occasionally you just have to scrap a little bit and fight for the win,

:50:52. > :51:09.shake the game by little bit and loosen it up. -- shake the game up a

:51:10. > :51:12.little bit. I think Nicky is very good at that style as well. He is

:51:13. > :51:15.good at fighting and making things different. He is on the wrong side

:51:16. > :51:27.of the drawing game. You can see the clock is operational

:51:28. > :51:49.again. Good effort, just dropping on the

:51:50. > :52:13.red. Nicky can just drop onto that green

:52:14. > :52:29.bowl behind the jack. The wait was good. -- weight. He has got a very

:52:30. > :52:37.good shot on what he has got to play well. -- but he has got to play it

:52:38. > :52:49.well. Looks much closer with this. He just

:52:50. > :52:54.needs to squeeze the jack, but it is not getting back in time. Three

:52:55. > :53:01.bowls, all sitting there ready to go. Coming down this way, Nicky has

:53:02. > :53:06.played a couple of brilliant last deliveries to pick up a double.

:53:07. > :53:31.Let's see if he can make it again. Suzanne is looking pensive. She will

:53:32. > :53:41.be getting a bit worried. You said it, Dave. He has done it again. He

:53:42. > :53:48.is making them count. You have to against someone like Mervyn King. He

:53:49. > :54:06.took the chance well. Wonderful control of the weight.

:54:07. > :54:27.It is the advantage to Brett at the moment.

:54:28. > :55:12.Mervyn's reply. It is the sort of thing in the second round, it does

:55:13. > :55:25.not deserve to happen to either player, does it? Mervyn must be

:55:26. > :55:31.thinking that in any other type of match, he would be well on his way

:55:32. > :55:43.to the final. But this man is making him fight for everything.

:55:44. > :55:52.Look at this again, he is close if he passes the red. That is brilliant

:55:53. > :55:57.play, brilliant. When it comes to just pure drawing, he is the best in

:55:58. > :56:00.the world when he is like this. And yet he is still not winning. If he

:56:01. > :56:34.gets the red he gets the results. Mervyn trying to make another and

:56:35. > :56:43.get centre rink at the same time. He has made a two. Really, he should

:56:44. > :56:50.transition to draw this off or squeeze the jack. What we call an

:56:51. > :57:06.arriving drawer, making sure you are there but give it a chance. -- and

:57:07. > :57:12.arriving draw. And what a chance! It is frightening, the quality is

:57:13. > :57:26.sublime. Mervyn has to be careful. You might decide just to take this

:57:27. > :57:31.one. He has got about three inches. It would normally be enough for

:57:32. > :57:34.Mervyn but if he drops back off the jack he will lose the shot and in a

:57:35. > :57:44.game like this, you just cannot afford to give shots away. He will

:57:45. > :57:52.try to drop back in on it from the backhand and it has to be perfect.

:57:53. > :58:02.He is on a good line again. Just slightly over. Only just. Good

:58:03. > :59:30.effort. He has certainly given it a go.

:59:31. > :59:34.Another good attempt by Mervyn together back from neck. He was just

:59:35. > :00:00.a foot short. One dream but it's a nice position

:00:01. > :00:42.building up. -- green. Big drive-by Mervyn. Drops back on

:00:43. > :00:50.the red. Doesn't need it. Dead weight.

:00:51. > :00:59.Once again, Nick Brett might be tempted to have a go. Yes, with

:01:00. > :01:07.weight. Now he's into something with this. That is a maximum result. He

:01:08. > :01:12.was right on target, I have to say, but that is a maximum result. He's

:01:13. > :01:17.having a little joke with Mervyn on the way. Mervyn will not be too

:01:18. > :01:21.amused. That is good banter between the players but he has hit the

:01:22. > :01:23.target. That's all you can do. He was on target. He played it with

:01:24. > :01:41.very nice controlled weight. Mervyn is in the area, pulling it

:01:42. > :01:48.back, Dave. It's close. Look at that again. I think this is probably one

:01:49. > :01:52.of the best matches I have seen him play. And yet, he is on the wrong

:01:53. > :02:10.side of the scoreline. He may go again here because he has

:02:11. > :02:20.got options. Didn't want to take his own out. He had both sides covered.

:02:21. > :02:22.It can be hard to draw the shot. Not far away. It spends from there. Good

:02:23. > :02:29.attempt. Such a tight game. He was on the

:02:30. > :02:45.risk running the bowl. That is a super, super game. Put you

:02:46. > :02:53.on the spot, Dave. Where is your money at this stage? I have a slight

:02:54. > :02:57.favour for Nick Brett on a tie-break and the only reason I said that was

:02:58. > :03:03.because he really wasn't playing his usual best form in the pairs. And

:03:04. > :03:10.they just have a feeling he would come out and play a lot better. He

:03:11. > :04:00.has got that extra dimensional to his game, as well. Very attacking.

:04:01. > :04:17.One of his great qualities is his patient, Mervyn.

:04:18. > :04:20.He's a very patient man. If he keeps doing what he does, drawing close

:04:21. > :04:26.bells until he drives the opponent into the ground... His life is like

:04:27. > :04:30.that. He's a very patient man and can sit and wait. For long periods

:04:31. > :04:47.of time until the opportunities comes up.

:04:48. > :04:58.Get the red bowl. It would be good. Yes, there it is. Once again, Nick

:04:59. > :05:04.Brett, good bowls. Let's see what he comes up with. I don't think there's

:05:05. > :05:08.a lot to get out of it, so he will have two draw this. He is playing

:05:09. > :05:16.well enough to do it. Needs an edge. Oh, he got it. Got

:05:17. > :05:35.the thin edge. That helped. Without the thin edge, he was onto

:05:36. > :05:40.the front green one, but he will know a little bit of extra weight on

:05:41. > :05:45.his next delivery, he will draw it. This is the seventh end of the nine

:05:46. > :05:53.end set. Whoever wins this, will have a great chance to win the set.

:05:54. > :06:00.One doesn't want to fall back now. He wants to stay up. That's

:06:01. > :06:03.fantastic. How many times have we seen Mervyn King in this match just

:06:04. > :06:11.put bowl after bowl after bowl on the jack? Yeah, a great bowler. He

:06:12. > :06:17.has finished well, just behind it, not on the side. Nick is going to

:06:18. > :06:27.have another go at this. It can't be much worse off. It is all on the

:06:28. > :06:33.connections. Wow. Still a couple down. Good connection. Possibly took

:06:34. > :06:46.one off. UMPIRE: Two shots to Mervyn King.

:06:47. > :06:48.Those sorts of shots can be critical at the end of the set. Whether you

:06:49. > :07:01.get a good result or not. He has battled into a position now,

:07:02. > :07:10.Mervyn, where he could close this set out, 1-1. I wouldn't back

:07:11. > :07:16.anything in this match. Exactly. 6-4, and you are still not backing

:07:17. > :07:21.anyone. You boys get away with it. It's normally Thompson who does

:07:22. > :07:30.that. Tom O normally sits on the fence.

:07:31. > :07:38.I don't want this one to end. I wanted to go to a tie-break. It's

:07:39. > :07:44.been a fantastic game of bowls. Yeah.

:07:45. > :07:49.Players often ask for copies of matches, but I think I will ask for

:07:50. > :08:18.a copy of this one. Machine-like at the moment but he

:08:19. > :08:26.has just presented a target there. He knows it. This is normally a

:08:27. > :08:32.signboard Nicky to play things, but he is staying controlled with this

:08:33. > :08:36.one. He is drawing well. He has played some fantastic draw shots,

:08:37. > :08:41.especially in this direction. Just inside. He will want to move that

:08:42. > :08:47.bowl. Oh, and edge. Come on, Mervyn, due to get another one in, run for

:08:48. > :08:49.cover. UMPIRE: Shot one, just over three

:08:50. > :09:01.inches. His problem is the side bowl still

:09:02. > :09:07.presents a target. Yes, he would like to move that, really, and drop

:09:08. > :09:13.off it. Just on the high side. This will keep for later. Good position.

:09:14. > :09:18.I think that was very deliberate. Extremely deliberate, not far away.

:09:19. > :09:26.He knows Nicky will be tended to run at things, but he is keeping it

:09:27. > :09:32.tight and trying to draw. In the area again. I think it's better this

:09:33. > :09:37.time. He's even better this time. He was an edge away although, the green

:09:38. > :09:47.bowlers dropped out so it might be shot.

:09:48. > :09:55.Well, it's very close. A slight favour for red.

:09:56. > :10:06.UMPIRE: Time-out. If he plays the forehand, he could come down the gap

:10:07. > :10:11.and move the jack or he could go on the backside and left his own bowl

:10:12. > :10:16.there. You know what it's like me can use the red bowl but draw would

:10:17. > :10:26.account for him. Either way, it's a safer shot.

:10:27. > :10:34.Using a bit of weight here. The shot is against him so he's playing

:10:35. > :10:40.inside. It depends on the angle he plays this. He needs a clean bowl,

:10:41. > :10:46.though. Deep green ones come to Mervyn's aid, but I'm not sure about

:10:47. > :10:53.that one because it's just the angles. He's going to bring it out

:10:54. > :10:59.into the open, John. Yes, you expect Nicky, the form he is in, to draw

:11:00. > :11:04.this. I don't think that's an issue. I really don't. I just thought

:11:05. > :11:11.Mervyn playing as well as he has been, a little turnover of his own

:11:12. > :11:14.bowl would have been enough. There was never going to be any mistake.

:11:15. > :11:27.APPLAUSE So, Mervyn King has to do when this

:11:28. > :12:05.last end to win a tie-break. -- win.

:12:06. > :12:12.At this stage, the only advantage to it is he has got the last bowl,

:12:13. > :12:20.Mervyn, but is that an advantage? It's so tight. All over it again.

:12:21. > :12:34.He's had some really good first bowls. He will battle this one.

:12:35. > :12:39.Yeah, going toe to toe, two boxes, no one is giving an inch. High

:12:40. > :12:43.standards. I think the crowd would love to go to a tie-break. Nicky is

:12:44. > :12:52.sitting pretty with that bowl in front the moment. Mervyn making sure

:12:53. > :12:59.he was arriving at things with his first delivery. More further away

:13:00. > :13:09.than he wanted. You don't go near that one now, Nick. Play for cover.

:13:10. > :13:23.It will all get a very tactical now. Mervyn attacking the second bowl. It

:13:24. > :13:30.is rare. He has to make a movement. It's away. Oh yes, good bowler. Now

:13:31. > :13:47.it is out in the open. Nick will have first bite at it.

:13:48. > :13:56.Oh, he didn't look right about that which means something is wrong.

:13:57. > :14:00.Probably the wait. He knew it. It couldn't be the line because he was

:14:01. > :14:11.on a good track on the way down. He has dropped through two yards.

:14:12. > :14:18.Doesn't look too keen. Now then, how is Mervyn's adjustment. His weight

:14:19. > :14:24.is good. He's arriving. He's not really. Oh, he's missed a chance. A

:14:25. > :14:29.really close bowl was needed. I would suggest you could count on one

:14:30. > :14:37.hand how many times Mervyn King is Doctor bowl four feet short. --

:14:38. > :14:48.Mervyn King has dropped a bowl four feet short. Nicky knows he must get

:14:49. > :14:52.a closer bowl. Well... Mervyn really surprised. A good, close bowl there

:14:53. > :14:59.could have one in the set. He will have to play his last bowl now. He

:15:00. > :15:04.is on a good line. He won't make the mistake twice, John, will he? What

:15:05. > :15:11.is the pace like? Not bad. That is the problem. That's what Mervyn

:15:12. > :15:16.needs to do. He has made sure now of having two shots without touching

:15:17. > :15:21.the jack and there is going to be very little option here for Mervyn

:15:22. > :15:29.King. He may have to play this and hope he gets the jack in the ditch.

:15:30. > :15:34.But, the match live is against him. -- life.

:15:35. > :15:43.Running, looking for jack with this weight. He is in the area, very

:15:44. > :15:49.close. If he gets the jack and goes with it. He has got it. Brilliant

:15:50. > :15:58.bowler. Mervyn King, his own bowl came through. Takes a single, takes

:15:59. > :16:04.the set. He looked good all the way, John, I have to say. He let it go,

:16:05. > :16:08.he was on a good line. It was all about connection. He didn't want to

:16:09. > :16:15.foul on any of the bowls which came with it. It's brilliant. 1-1, it

:16:16. > :16:25.doesn't get better than this. It's fantastic stuff, it really is.

:16:26. > :16:31.I wouldn't like to follow this match. Both players have really

:16:32. > :17:19.played well. It's going to be a difficult one to

:17:20. > :17:24.call. Mervyn hasn't played too many weight shots. My goodness, that was

:17:25. > :17:45.perfect. Played very controlled. Didn't want to drop back from the

:17:46. > :17:57.jack. Tension counterpunch, and no one has

:17:58. > :18:09.been knocked out. Mervyn, are you going to get back

:18:10. > :18:12.from there? It looks a little bit on the high side. Yes, it is clear road

:18:13. > :18:42.all the way through. That's OK. He is just underneath. The wait was

:18:43. > :18:46.very good. -- weight. Nick, with that last bowl, he couldn't have

:18:47. > :18:53.played any better. I know it wasn't a given against Mervyn, but, at the

:18:54. > :18:56.same time, he will be thinking he has got one foot in the

:18:57. > :19:01.quarterfinal. Yes, he couldn't do any more. Mervyn hasn't just

:19:02. > :19:27.quite... Yes, lacking a bit. He will be better in the next one.

:19:28. > :19:36.It's very wise, going round on the deep side, just in case. Mervyn will

:19:37. > :19:45.almost certainly be reaching this, so if he misses his own green bowl,

:19:46. > :19:50.he has got a chance of the two reds. Not an easy shot, John, but the

:19:51. > :19:58.other option is just to draw it and drop off the bowl. Lining up on the

:19:59. > :20:07.forehand side. Just trying to draw it, Dave.

:20:08. > :20:17.Needs to come back very deep. He is just over it. I thought he might

:20:18. > :20:20.have been a little bit more aggressive towards it. Nick Brett

:20:21. > :20:31.takes a single. So far, my prediction is working and

:20:32. > :20:49.I wouldn't give you much money on it.

:20:50. > :20:55.Once again, the slight advantage on a tie-break now, the second end he

:20:56. > :21:21.will have the last bowl. Nick Brett, one up in the tie-break

:21:22. > :21:22.and he has the last bowl. Normally it would be an advantage but, then

:21:23. > :21:36.again, Mervyn is doing well. The rules are slightly different in

:21:37. > :21:41.the tie-break. It's not accumulated shots. It should whiz across fairly

:21:42. > :21:45.quickly. CROWD GASPS

:21:46. > :21:57.Just inside. I thought he had a nipple on that. He

:21:58. > :22:06.I knew it was on the inside. He just went under it. Mervyn, don't present

:22:07. > :22:16.a target. Just behind. I didn't think he

:22:17. > :22:24.needed to be that close, to be truthful. Sort of framing it a

:22:25. > :22:35.little bit. He surely has to go again? Yes, he will. He's going.

:22:36. > :22:39.Here we go. Very close this time. That the bowl has turned out to be a

:22:40. > :22:46.beauty. Nick is shaking his head because I'm sure he thought that. He

:22:47. > :22:50.must've been thinking there was no way that second bowl would end up

:22:51. > :23:02.the shot. It has gone really well for Mervyn.

:23:03. > :23:10.Mervyn again just trying to drop one in. Close, but not too close. Yeah,

:23:11. > :23:19.that's close. That's good. That's really good. Nick, are you going to

:23:20. > :23:27.go again or are you going to try to draw it off? Less weight. Looking to

:23:28. > :23:34.try to catch it if you can and stay. Will he held? He's under. That will

:23:35. > :23:41.do. It is going to have to be covered by Mervyn. That's going to

:23:42. > :23:47.be difficult to cover that. I just wonder what Mervyn will do? The last

:23:48. > :23:52.bowl is about seven or eight inches from the re-spot position. If it is

:23:53. > :23:58.hit, the jack is likely to go if it is hit off the rink. Yeah, well, if

:23:59. > :24:01.is governed by the forehand, the bowl is stopping him and that's a

:24:02. > :24:09.problem because the re-spot position is just here. Now, the alternative

:24:10. > :24:12.is to drive the bowl. That is the other option, little unusual, I

:24:13. > :24:16.know. It will be difficult to get to that re-spot position. It is

:24:17. > :24:21.sufficiently far enough away not to do any damage, but I know in

:24:22. > :24:26.Australia that would be a definite option that it's not Mervyn's game.

:24:27. > :24:30.I think he will just draw away. I have seen people play it, but it's

:24:31. > :24:37.not easy to cover the re-spot when the opposition is so close. Either

:24:38. > :24:42.way, Nick is going to have a shot here. Yes, he wants to push the bowl

:24:43. > :24:48.further away from the re-spot was he has pushed it on top of it. If this

:24:49. > :24:53.goes on to the re-spot position, the jack goes back to as close as

:24:54. > :25:02.possible to the front of the re-spot. Well, Nick, you hate this

:25:03. > :25:14.either side of the jack goes off, you will win this match. -- it.

:25:15. > :25:25.He looks under to me. Yes, underneath the line. Mervyn King has

:25:26. > :25:29.stretched it through to the last end the tie-break and, to be fair,

:25:30. > :25:42.that's exactly where this match deserves to be.

:25:43. > :26:35.The first to bowl is coming in this direction. Very good. Nick Brett

:26:36. > :26:43.seems to really like this direction. The forehand in

:26:44. > :26:49.particular. Rules change again. The only time a player can nominate to

:26:50. > :26:56.kill the end. They replay it in the same direction. They are only

:26:57. > :27:03.allowed to do that once. It has been bowl for bowl, and still Suzanne is

:27:04. > :27:08.looking pensive, no emotion at all. I'm getting a copy of this match, I

:27:09. > :27:12.really am. It's been fantastic. Nick, very close to the edge. He

:27:13. > :27:21.played on the green it's not a disaster.

:27:22. > :27:29.Well, what drama here, isn't it? It sums up everything good about these

:27:30. > :27:35.championships. Great venue, great coverage, great crowd, great

:27:36. > :27:43.coverage and great bowls. It's just been out of this world stuff, it

:27:44. > :27:46.really has. Tremendous bowling. I tell you what, John, I had got lots

:27:47. > :27:54.of different copies of different matches over the years, but this is

:27:55. > :28:00.one I'm definitely going to get. Going again, Nick. Going for the

:28:01. > :28:07.edge to get the Greenaway. Close. He has got it. -- green away. That will

:28:08. > :28:15.change things dramatically. It will be hard to get to. No way that will

:28:16. > :28:20.be a dead-end situation now. This is going to be tricky, I have to say.

:28:21. > :28:25.Mervyn King will have two goes at this but, no matter where he puts

:28:26. > :28:29.it, Nicky will be after it. Yes, but the problem for Nicky is his only

:28:30. > :28:34.got one bowl left and its advantage Mervyn. I'm surprised he's playing

:28:35. > :28:37.it on the open hand. I thought you might have played it on the backhand

:28:38. > :28:44.and let it swing across. It's going to be harder to hold this bowl up.

:28:45. > :28:48.If he stays on, he's very good. Very good indeed, and he has. That is a

:28:49. > :28:54.tremendous bowler because no matter what happens, Nicky is leaving

:28:55. > :29:01.Mervyn a shed load of space to repeated. He has got to beat that on

:29:02. > :29:08.the draw. He can't take it off. That will be tough but it is only option,

:29:09. > :29:15.Dave will stop he has pushed this well out. Has he got the wait? He

:29:16. > :29:22.has got a beautiful line. I'm not sure he has pushed it, though. Great

:29:23. > :29:27.effort. That's a great effort, but he is not there. Mervyn King takes

:29:28. > :29:32.the third end on a tie-break, wonderful game between the number

:29:33. > :29:38.six and number two in the world. A super game of bowls. Mervyn King

:29:39. > :29:45.gets over the line 3-1. What a fantastic game. Yes, unbelievable.

:29:46. > :29:48.Pity to see a loser but wonderful bowls, wonderful match and I think

:29:49. > :29:53.both players deserve a standing ovation. A brilliant game of bowls.

:29:54. > :29:57.That is as good as I have seen for some considerable time. The crowd on

:29:58. > :30:00.their feet and thought that was magnificent and we thought it was

:30:01. > :30:15.magnificent. I hope everyone at home and enjoyed it. It doesn't get any

:30:16. > :30:22.better than that. 7-6, 7-5, 2-1. He was so close in the first set, so

:30:23. > :30:26.many running bowls to keep Mervyn King at bay. This was the ball he

:30:27. > :30:35.had to win the set. What bravery that Turk to draw right on it for

:30:36. > :30:44.the second shot. Mervyn King, the last bowl, the match against him, he

:30:45. > :30:55.takes the single and wins the set seven shots to five. This was

:30:56. > :30:59.extremely brave of Mervyn King. He played it out wide on the forehand,

:31:00. > :31:07.the jack in the ditch, and it just pulls up short, half a yard, great

:31:08. > :31:18.ball. This is all going to be very close. Look at this. Mervyn King

:31:19. > :31:25.just winning by one shot, look at the touches. It was a fantastic

:31:26. > :31:29.game, everything so similar and really, we're not going to do better

:31:30. > :31:37.than that in any match in the championship. Well, these two guys

:31:38. > :31:40.just got a standing ovation from the crowd who watched. A high-class

:31:41. > :31:45.match, entertaining from start to finish. I know it is disappointing

:31:46. > :31:51.to lose, but in terms of the way you play, what did you think of that? I

:31:52. > :31:58.cannot be too disappointed. I would have liked to have found a couple

:31:59. > :32:05.more to get on top of the old boy. When it comes to drawing, you are as

:32:06. > :32:14.good players as you are in the world, do you think you did as good

:32:15. > :32:19.as you good? Probably, to be fair. I found it quite good today, I am

:32:20. > :32:23.quite happy. There must have been a moment where you thought you were

:32:24. > :32:34.close to winning in the tie-break? I played a good last one. The third

:32:35. > :32:44.one leaved left a lot to be desired. Devastated you may be. Mervyn, Nicky

:32:45. > :32:49.has been one of the players rising, years a number two now. You are a

:32:50. > :32:54.former champion here. It was a fair time ago so do you feel the way he

:32:55. > :32:59.played today, you have the game to go on and make another serious

:33:00. > :33:08.challenge? Probably. He is not bad for an old boy. You have always got

:33:09. > :33:18.a chance to stop I can only play my best. I will do my best.

:33:19. > :33:20.Congratulations, a super match. Congratulations to Mervin who is

:33:21. > :33:28.through to the quarterfinals. Let's take a look at the way the last 16

:33:29. > :33:34.is unfolding. Stewart Anderson is up against Robert Reel. Andy Thomson is

:33:35. > :33:45.up against John Price, a clash of the former champions. Mervyn King is

:33:46. > :33:49.through to the quarterfinals. The other outstanding matches, Alex

:33:50. > :33:55.Marshall and Gary Smith, as well as Danny Denison and Paul Foster. One

:33:56. > :33:58.more match to bring you news on from today and that took place this

:33:59. > :34:05.morning between Jason Greenslade and the world number 11, Robert Paxton.

:34:06. > :34:11.We are going to join it in the third end of the second set. Paxton took

:34:12. > :34:30.the first set. Greg Harlow is there in the commentary box. UMPIRE: It is

:34:31. > :34:57.27 metres, the jack. Jason's confidence will be growing.

:34:58. > :35:14.That is better. Not bad. APPLAUSE

:35:15. > :35:18.A good start. Four rounds in a row and he has not put his first bowl

:35:19. > :35:26.within half a yard, that is not like him. The first eight games were all

:35:27. > :35:34.within a foot or less. It is strange how it has changed. How is Jason's

:35:35. > :35:37.weight this time? The line was very good.

:35:38. > :35:50.APPLAUSE A little bit quicker. The last bowl

:35:51. > :35:55.was just over a foot near the jack. You and Greg would stick to the

:35:56. > :36:03.backhand. , I think I would even switch there! You love the backhand!

:36:04. > :36:08.Where Jason has finished is bank in the road so even for me it would be

:36:09. > :36:13.a forehand. I would not be happy about it. There were a few times in

:36:14. > :36:25.the final yesterday where we bought you would change. If there is room

:36:26. > :36:30.then I do much prefer the backhand and its direction. Jason can stick

:36:31. > :36:38.to it because it is his own bowl. That is a beauty and the pressure is

:36:39. > :36:53.on. You need a big bowl. I think the time is right now. This looks good.

:36:54. > :36:59.Yes, so much better. Well played. That is the one. That is what he

:37:00. > :37:13.needed. He is very relieved. It has been a while. He might get a little

:37:14. > :37:21.fiddly shot here. He can afford to play this. A little bit over the

:37:22. > :37:35.weight. The clock is ticking but he is safe. There we go, inside the

:37:36. > :37:39.line. He needs some sort of edge. He got it solid is, it was close. He

:37:40. > :37:48.played that with lovely weight, I have to say. I thought that bowl was

:37:49. > :37:53.going to fall back, actually. If it is one, I think Robert should take

:37:54. > :38:05.it. There is still room on the forehand but any touch and he will

:38:06. > :38:12.be down. It was a little bit full, and the Corsa ball would have been

:38:13. > :38:17.better. There is plenty of time for Roberts to get back. -- the court

:38:18. > :38:33.all. He will almost certainly go along

:38:34. > :38:48.with this. He needs to get his first bowl going again. He needs to get it

:38:49. > :39:06.in the target zone. UMPIRE: The jack length is 29 metres.

:39:07. > :39:09.He switched from the backhand to the forehand, obviously trying something

:39:10. > :40:04.different. Just when we thought he was getting

:40:05. > :40:11.into the groove. Very strange, very strange. The first eight ends, he

:40:12. > :40:28.played fantastic. He is a bit scratchy now. Jason needs to add a

:40:29. > :40:48.foot or 15 inches. He overcorrected. Another chance for Robert Paxton. I

:40:49. > :40:57.was looking at his profile and thinking that he lives in Taunton,

:40:58. > :41:13.and wondered how he changed. Give me a chance to talk about Ian Bonds. We

:41:14. > :41:17.miss him. Never believe what players right on their profiles. He didn't

:41:18. > :41:31.update it, did he? He has not changed it. Is he going to run, is

:41:32. > :41:39.he going to give up? It is close. Jason's body language says that he

:41:40. > :42:00.thinks he did not make it. One green, that is good news for Robert.

:42:01. > :42:14.A good chance to add another. It looks pretty good. It just slipped

:42:15. > :42:19.past. Well, really, it should have been in. There is only a draw

:42:20. > :42:35.available! This has got to be a draw! Now he will draw. Please,

:42:36. > :42:44.please, Jason, just draw the shot. Yes, we called one right. He is

:42:45. > :42:56.very, very interested in this. He is stalking it forward. It did not

:42:57. > :43:13.really have the weight, though. APPLAUSE

:43:14. > :43:29.A couple more ends of singles and Robert Paxton will be right in here

:43:30. > :43:36.again. It is nice to score big counts but it is all about winning

:43:37. > :43:59.ends. Nine times out of ten, the player that scores the most ends in

:44:00. > :44:03.a set ends up winning the set. You should be working hard to get that

:44:04. > :44:19.consistency from the first set. His body language says he is working

:44:20. > :44:49.hard. He just has to dig deep on it. APPLAUSE

:44:50. > :44:55.I could almost see him get his shoulder behind that one. He is not

:44:56. > :45:06.in a bad vision, and that was not where he wanted it to be. -- bad

:45:07. > :45:20.position. He was grouping his bowls and giving Jason an extra chance.

:45:21. > :45:32.It's looks like... He has taken it! He might be tempted to arrive at

:45:33. > :45:43.this. It looks like it is on a narrower line. It is a percentage

:45:44. > :45:52.shot. Maybe a pound or two too much. It is a big decision. Should he

:45:53. > :46:01.slide another one in or cover? Go deep. Most of us words but with

:46:02. > :46:17.Jason, who knows? He has got his sensible head on. -- most of us

:46:18. > :46:21.would. That splits the two greens. I am surprised Rob has not had a look

:46:22. > :46:31.at this to see the angles stop he is just playing it from the mat. If he

:46:32. > :46:46.plays the line with slightly less weight, it it should slip in. Yes,

:46:47. > :46:50.he has got it. A big crowd here at Potters Leisure Resort enjoying the

:46:51. > :47:10.bowls. These take out ones are very exciting for them. Perfect. A big

:47:11. > :47:17.drive coming up, Dave. I think. Jason has two time-outs remaining.

:47:18. > :47:28.That is a very hard shot. He has got a good whack bowl -- back bowl. He

:47:29. > :47:33.is very accurate with the runners. He wants his own solid into the two

:47:34. > :47:43.greens, I think. That is what I would be looking at. A solid red

:47:44. > :47:52.into the greens. Oh, there is that other green bowl there. That red one

:47:53. > :48:04.was taken out to reduce the count. Yes, the non-touch is taken away. It

:48:05. > :48:11.is an interesting shots to look at. You can certainly see everything and

:48:12. > :48:15.it is hard to tell who is in second. It is the drop in the ditch that is

:48:16. > :48:22.the problem. Sometimes, as well, the angle from here looks clear-cut but

:48:23. > :48:29.when you get on the rink, the angles are all different and it is probably

:48:30. > :49:02.closer. It is the green bowl in the ditch that you are looking at. We

:49:03. > :49:14.will soon know. UMPIRE: One, Robert Paxton. Not a bad result. Robert is

:49:15. > :49:26.keeping this going now. 6-3, a couple of singles, and it will get

:49:27. > :49:47.edgy towards the end of the set. UMPIRE: Jack length is 28.5 metres.

:49:48. > :49:59.Once again, a long jack length. APPLAUSE

:50:00. > :50:16.Yes, it looks like he is back in the game.

:50:17. > :50:55.APPLAUSE Well played. He has got his weight

:50:56. > :51:03.sorted. Jason might go early and he may drive these. 6-3 up and two

:51:04. > :51:11.down, one bowl in there. This has to be accurate. That is why he's

:51:12. > :51:20.roaring. This has to be precise. -- that is why he is drawing. Yes, he

:51:21. > :51:30.is caught in two minds. He did not like that shot very much. Still...

:51:31. > :51:40.He has lost a little. Robert is in a good position now. I cannot see

:51:41. > :51:46.Jason doing much with this without moving the jack. That is why keep

:51:47. > :51:58.thought he might drive a second bowl to start it up again. He is an

:51:59. > :52:05.aggressive player and might decide to have a go anyway, he has two

:52:06. > :52:21.balls left. Yes, draw or drive, nothing in between for my money. He

:52:22. > :52:35.is looking to rest the back bowl and sit in. He is pushing it forward. It

:52:36. > :52:46.does not look right. It is hard for Robert to add another. He could lose

:52:47. > :52:49.three or four. The position could be covered but it does not look like

:52:50. > :53:10.the jack will go off the side of the rink. Yes, Robert is going to slide

:53:11. > :53:18.one round. APPLAUSE

:53:19. > :53:44.I think Jason will draw again and lose a two if he has to do. That is

:53:45. > :53:59.the only shot available to him. Right, the perfect draw... He is not

:54:00. > :54:06.chasing it. He is watching it and he is very close, he needs to Harry.

:54:07. > :54:13.APPLAUSE He continues his scoring run with

:54:14. > :54:17.five shots on the trot. UMPIRE: Two shots, Robert Paxton. 6-0 down three

:54:18. > :54:36.ends to go. Yes, and more important than that,

:54:37. > :55:20.he has his drawing game back on and the pressure is back on for Jase.

:55:21. > :55:27.Rob is looking very much back in control of things now. He is giving

:55:28. > :55:32.Jason plenty to think about. He is even contemplating the first ball

:55:33. > :55:40.drive here. He has done it before. He is going to run out of time if he

:55:41. > :55:45.is not careful. He was definitely contemplating whether to drive. He

:55:46. > :55:53.is still one in front. He has the 6-0 to carry roof since the game

:55:54. > :56:30.change. -- to carry through. Look at this. That is close. He would have

:56:31. > :56:36.liked that to have been another two feet further on. It has got to be

:56:37. > :56:45.tempting for Jason now. It is the right angle for him. He is going

:56:46. > :57:03.deeper. That is quite deep. Tactical stuff. He is in a good place there.

:57:04. > :57:08.Jase will like the angle. He is saying, any connection on my red and

:57:09. > :57:14.I am in good shape. The it was quite a brave shot for Robert Paxton, it

:57:15. > :57:19.depends on whether he is covering or not. He could play a tap on his own

:57:20. > :57:33.bowl and take the shot away from Jason, or else he will follow for

:57:34. > :57:46.position. Yes, that is what he did. APPLAUSE

:57:47. > :57:57.It is as good as it gets. A forehand runner. He could get the two bowls.

:57:58. > :58:03.If he gets the half bowl, both greens will move and the jack will

:58:04. > :58:07.rarely move. That is what Robert is looking at as he bends down there.

:58:08. > :58:16.He is seeing whether the jack will move. He is taking a time-out, a

:58:17. > :58:23.good move. He has not been excessive with his use of time-outs. There are

:58:24. > :58:39.four available. A forehand drive, here we go. I thought it was going

:58:40. > :58:48.to bounce off the green. The touch in the ditch, it stays live. The

:58:49. > :58:55.jack stays live. I think Jason knew that the jack was going to the green

:58:56. > :59:02.bowl. UMPIRE: Robert, is that the bowl you put down? Yes. A very

:59:03. > :59:13.interesting draw. About as wide as you dare go. You have got to judge

:59:14. > :59:21.it to perfection and flirt with the ditch at the other end. He is used

:59:22. > :59:36.to that with a late draw. He is just under. I think it is just a draw but

:59:37. > :59:45.I also have seen Jason Manford these before but I think it is a draw.

:59:46. > :59:54.He has not made up his mind which way to go. I think it is the draw.

:59:55. > :00:02.The draw it is. He is still one shot in front at the moment on the card.

:00:03. > :00:08.That's partly why. He is slightly wider than Robert was. Better pace.

:00:09. > :00:14.Close to the edge of the ditch. Unlucky. I think he realised he was

:00:15. > :00:22.just going to float off the edge and he did. A single. It was a great

:00:23. > :00:33.effort, I have to say. One inch heavy, that's all. Credit to Robert

:00:34. > :00:39.Paxton, 6-0 down. He has clawed that back to level the scores in the next

:00:40. > :00:41.five ends. He dug in deep when he was struggling. Got his game

:00:42. > :01:16.together. This link is put on top of rinks

:01:17. > :01:19.that are normally played on -- rink. I often think this would be a great

:01:20. > :01:27.place for the home international series. Accommodation is on site.

:01:28. > :01:32.It's obviously first-class. It is great from that standpoint. I don't

:01:33. > :01:38.know whether he would get enough people in because obviously you

:01:39. > :01:44.would loop -- lose the stands, so I don't know whether you would get

:01:45. > :01:46.enough people in. We get a huge number to support the home

:01:47. > :01:53.internationals but, yeah, it's always a good venue here. Once

:01:54. > :01:58.again, Robert back in action again with his first delivery. He is

:01:59. > :02:07.making the run for home now. Small correction. Back to front

:02:08. > :02:36.touch. Back for another end. Judy Potter. Resplendent in mint

:02:37. > :02:40.green. She runs the competition for charity to guess what colour of

:02:41. > :02:46.jacket she will be wearing on finals day. She with different colours

:02:47. > :02:59.every single day. -- wares. I did ask Judy once how many jacket

:03:00. > :03:07.she actually had. And she did tell me the answer, but I won't repeat

:03:08. > :03:08.it. It's quite a few. Yes, it's absolutely scary. Quite a wardrobe,

:03:09. > :03:24.Judy. Blue role. Yes. -- pleural. A chance for Robert. If he can get

:03:25. > :03:30.to the red bowl, it would be perfect. He is on a very wide line

:03:31. > :03:37.with this one. Well, the line turned out to be perfect. Jason has got a

:03:38. > :03:42.chance here. They are good bowls but I don't think they are winning ones.

:03:43. > :03:47.I think there was the winning bowl to be played yet in this end. The

:03:48. > :03:51.first set he would have driven it. Now he is contemplating just a

:03:52. > :03:58.little touch on the jack. Let's see what he does. Anyone else would be

:03:59. > :04:05.drawing. Jason, driving for the bowl. He doesn't want to get his own

:04:06. > :04:10.two. He is close to the jack and got the edge. Unlucky. He got the edge

:04:11. > :04:18.of the target. That's what he was looking for. But he has taken his

:04:19. > :04:22.own way. That was always the danger. If he missed the bowl wide he was

:04:23. > :04:26.taking his own out. Very unlucky. I think that was really unlucky.

:04:27. > :04:35.Without a touch on the green he was on the jack. 100% for having a go at

:04:36. > :04:39.it, no doubt about it. He is a very brave sort of player but now he is

:04:40. > :04:49.in trouble. He is in a heap of trouble. Can Robert turned the

:04:50. > :04:57.screw? Can he get really close? This is effectively a match now. He needs

:04:58. > :05:03.to draw the shot. I'm not sure even second bowl would do. He needs to

:05:04. > :05:09.draw the shot. He is not sure about this one, the way he let it go. Not

:05:10. > :05:17.overly in love with it. Not quite right for weight. It creeps past the

:05:18. > :05:29.front. Look at this. What a recovery but he wasn't sure when he let it

:05:30. > :05:35.go. First him in the match. -- keeps him in the match. Wonderful draw

:05:36. > :05:42.shot by Jason Greenslade. Pick the bones out of this one. The biggest

:05:43. > :05:56.pressure shot of the match so far. Brilliant shot.

:05:57. > :06:04.Well, he has had this swashbuckling style of play for some years. It has

:06:05. > :06:09.held him in good stead and he has got himself in a good position to

:06:10. > :06:16.force this match into a tie-break. Yes, effectively a tie-break end. He

:06:17. > :06:24.won't be looking for twos and threes. This could extend the match

:06:25. > :06:30.into a tie-break. Not a great opener. Anything but short. That's

:06:31. > :06:43.good for Jason. Robert, your first bowls have been

:06:44. > :06:52.good the last few ends. Decent again. Can e-mail it? Just running a

:06:53. > :07:06.little bit. -- can he mail it? Still good.

:07:07. > :07:18.Tremendous line. Well, he certainly a lot closer as it comes towards the

:07:19. > :07:42.jack. It's looking good. In the area. Carrying a little bit

:07:43. > :08:03.of weight. Will he get back? It would suggest he needs one closer

:08:04. > :08:10.than that, Jason, to win the end. Yes, back to the backend. Not

:08:11. > :08:18.worried about the back, this time. Just going for the shot. He is not

:08:19. > :08:23.very wide. No, he's definitely down on a narrow line. And that will

:08:24. > :08:29.drift away, no matter what happens. Slightly slower on that line, as

:08:30. > :08:32.well. This is the bowl you want to do it with full supper third

:08:33. > :08:37.delivery. You want to get the shot here. I think it's a draw, but a

:08:38. > :08:42.takeout is also an option. I think it is a draw. Yes, he was so close

:08:43. > :08:49.on the last one. Any drop in weight would be good. Time out. You always

:08:50. > :08:56.want to do it with your third, as well. You don't want to leave the

:08:57. > :08:57.pressure until your last bowl. He has been in the area with the last

:08:58. > :09:10.two. Yes, that is playing to his

:09:11. > :09:14.strengths. The line is certainly good enough and he is talking it

:09:15. > :09:20.down. He feels the pace is good, too. He is definitely better with

:09:21. > :09:24.this one. Got it. Really played that bowl well. Kept his nerve, through

:09:25. > :09:36.the shot. One foot into the quarterfinals. He

:09:37. > :09:43.has left the Jason with nothing but a draw here.

:09:44. > :09:51.UMPIRE: Time-out called. Jason has no time ats remaining. Jason taking

:09:52. > :09:55.his time. As the bowl came down, it looks perfect all the way. There it

:09:56. > :10:03.goes. On the bowl, drops in for the shot. Can he draw the shot?

:10:04. > :10:13.It looks under to me. It doesn't look right. He has missed it. Well,

:10:14. > :10:24.it was a great bowl by Robert Paxton. He was 6-0 down and then

:10:25. > :10:29.scored three singles, double, and another two singles to draw the set

:10:30. > :10:33.7-7. And he takes the match goes into the quarterfinals.

:10:34. > :10:51.I have been joined by David to reflect on what we have seen

:10:52. > :10:55.particular in the men's action today. Robert Paxton, he is one of

:10:56. > :10:59.those solid players, the world number three, and whoever he faces

:11:00. > :11:04.next is going to be in for tough match. Very much so, he has got the

:11:05. > :11:08.drive shot but getting over Jason Greenslade was a big win. Although

:11:09. > :11:12.Jason is down the rankings, he is so unpredictable and he played well

:11:13. > :11:16.today. I have got to ask you about the match of the tournament so far.

:11:17. > :11:20.Mervyn King. You said you're going to take a copy of it home on DVD. I

:11:21. > :11:24.would run that again tomorrow. It was a fantastic game and I be

:11:25. > :11:28.surprised if we see anything better than that. If the best game I've

:11:29. > :11:32.seen the years. You also said Mervyn King, on his day, when he plays like

:11:33. > :11:38.he does, is the best draw up the bowl in the world. I think so, I

:11:39. > :11:41.believe that. I think his game is not as branded as some of the others

:11:42. > :11:46.because he doesn't like to attack all the time, but on his day, he's

:11:47. > :11:52.unbelievable -- rounded. At 14 to one, what about that? It won't be

:11:53. > :11:55.that after today. Very truthful sublets a mind you're what is still

:11:56. > :12:03.to come of course also highlights on the BBC tonight at 12:20am. You can

:12:04. > :12:06.see the action and you can see Jonathan Ross against Les Gillett.

:12:07. > :12:10.And highlight the match today between Nicky Brett and Mervyn

:12:11. > :12:20.King. Tomorrow, we are on the red button. Rebecca Field against Julie

:12:21. > :12:24.Forrest. And also Katherine Rednall against Alison Merrien. A word about

:12:25. > :12:30.the ladies match tomorrow. Katherine Rednall, up against Alison Merrien,

:12:31. > :12:33.the most interesting match. It will be a fascinating game because

:12:34. > :12:40.Katherine played a running bowl which I had the first look at. She

:12:41. > :12:45.has that element. I think Julie Forrest could be fascinating. Simply

:12:46. > :12:50.because she is never really played well here. I think she will you once

:12:51. > :12:53.to show how good she is. She is a previous world champion in other

:12:54. > :12:58.areas, so I think Julie Forrest could be very dangerous. How tough

:12:59. > :13:02.is it for Rebecca Field to defend this title? It's very tough to

:13:03. > :13:05.defend your title and there will be pressure on her but she will know

:13:06. > :13:12.that Julie Forrest can beat her and that will make a better because the

:13:13. > :13:17.match could be better. It's going to be a hard battle. Thank you very

:13:18. > :13:20.much. The second trophy of the week has been won by Paul Foster and

:13:21. > :13:23.Laura Thomas. From us, bye bye.