Day 5 World Indoor Bowls Championships

MUSIC.

Hello, welcome to Potters for

highlights of the quarterfinals of

the world indoor open singles with

eight players with a chance of

getting their hands on the most

coveted trophy in the sport of

bowls.

coveted trophy in the sport of

bowls. Jason Greenslade was up

against Darren Burnett. And this is

the line-up... We start with the

match between Mark Dawes, number 12

in the world, against the world

number 13, Mark Royal. The

commentary from John Price and David

Corkill.

APPLAUSE

Nice easy action, Mark Royal, good

follow-through.

A left-hander.

Yes,

I like to see the extended arm

follow-through. There is no whipping

of the arm. Good players have the

follow-through.

Not far away. He got the roll off

it.

The pressure is on now. Yes,

back off the red. A good position

there.

Big problems here for Mark Dawes. He

does not want to play the running

bowl on the forehand. He could take

his own red one out. The jack could

bounce and go back up the rink. It

is a tough one to draw.

The other

day when he played David Gourlay, he

would draw it. Sometimes he is too

keen to get there.

That was a better line in and now he

has a chance.

It needed to hurry.

The touch brought him back on the

line, but I do not think it has

helped.

helped. Still two green. Three down

into the last end would be difficult

to pick up a treble to level things.

I think Mark Royal will just draw

this.

No danger if he is on a wide

line.

Left it late. Two seconds. On the

shot clock. He is staying well away.

He has more or less said I am happy

going into the last end three up.

That is not a big target. A

difficult strike. He will have to

draw it personally.

On the draw it is.

Looks a little bit better for line.

He is close with this. He needs to

get to the back end of the jack.

Almost made a double out of it.

I thought Mark Royal might have

drawn in because too much room.

I

said Mark did that in the previous

round numerous occasions against

David Gourlay.

Jack length, 27 metres.

One end shoot out. You can almost

treat this like a tie-break end. Be

aggressive, not concerned about

losing one, two, three, four.

It is

one good bowl, really.

A decent bowl with a side onto the

jack.

If it had been two inches further

on, Mark Dawes might have been

thinking about running the jack.

Gently now. That is a beauty, it

really is now. Interesting to see

what Mark Royal decides to do. We

has the last bowl in this end and

could do well to get it out into the

open.

This is where the tactics change.

With the last end level. Oh, he got

the jack. He was calling for just

the bowl. That will be a nightmare

to get to.

It is very close. It must

be cutting the line. No, it is out.

I think it is going on the re-spot.

Both should be happy about that,

John.

It was bad where it was. It

would have been difficult to get

close to it.

close to it.

It was well out. How

close can you get to this?

He was a little bit quick. I think

he rushed that and that is the

result.

Not close enough by some

distance.

Two against one now. Advantage Mark

Royal.

It is getting here to quickly, as

well.

Run-through, missed

opportunity there.

opportunity there.

Sometimes the

players have been saying the wider

you go, the quicker it gets. Mark

Dawes will make a correction. The

idea is to get the shot. That is

more like it. It is a good one.

Wanted to hold in front of the jack.

I expect Mark Royal to drive this.

He does not have any option.

Controlled weight. Is he two wide?

Nothing in it between bead two. Mark

Dawes just got over the line in the

end.

STUDIO: Mark Dawes proved too strong

of a second set and Mark Royal was

forced to concede in the penultimate

end. Winning 8-7, 9-3 to continue

his excellent week at Potters. Next,

the match between Jason Greenslade

who knocked out Paul Foster, up

against former champion Darren

Burnett, who won the first set 11-10

before Greenslade struck back in the

second set to take it 7-6, meaning

we are heading into a tie-break.

That is a great opener.

Yes, it is,

John. Because it is slightly on the

short side. If it had been directly

jack high, it would have been

different and that is exactly what

Darren is asking!

He might have

popped it in the ditch if it had

been jack high. He is playing it.

Jack in the ditch. Very attacking on

the tie-break ends.

That is the

second object he has moved.

It is a

toucher. It is a live bowl. The

tactics changed dramatically in

tie-break ends.

Oh, he has dropped it a bit. That is

one meter away.

The reason why I am saying metre, I

can see the white marks and I know

they are exactly one metre, so I can

judge it better that way.

That is a

good draw for Darren on the second

bowl.

That is excellent, it really

is. It will be hard to beat. The

front red will not help Jason.

I

think he might still play it. Fallen

down.

Three, four inches now. It is

possible to out draw that.

He is

playing it and very close, he could

have this.

He has got it as clean as

a whistle. A great shot for Jason.

He played it really well. Saying,

Darren, you put another one in.

Yes,

he had to play that. He moved the

bowl away. He will be hoping Darren

does not put another front toucher

in there. More than capable, Darren.

It is on a good line again.

Not quite as good as the last. But

Darren has the last bowl, so I think

Jason will try to draw this.

The line is very good, how is the

weight? He has overplayed it.

Darren Burnett, first end of the

tie-break. Jason will have the last

bowl this time, if he decides to

give the jack to Darren.

Great weight again from Darren. It

just faded.

Jason Greenslade has contributed

greatly to this match. But he has

actually only been in front on one

occasion and that was in the seventh

end of the first set when he was

10-8 up. He has never been in front

in this match, other than that one

end.

It has been a tight game

between the two. You can see it

going to the wire.

Darren disappointed with that second

bowl.

Jason still trying to fight

his way through them. This length is

pretty good. But needs to run with

this, it needs to hurry.

John, putting so much into getting

the line right, you forget about the

weight, the forehand, the margin of

error is bigger.

At the moment,

Darren may change himself here. He

is not, he is persevering with the

backhand.

That does not affect the position.

The gap is big enough, two feet

wide. But you are thinking about the

lines so much. He needs to do it

with this one.

He is going with it.

It is just the weight. He had the

line with two bowls.

It is threading

a needle when you don't need to and

he has dropped this. Oh, goodness

me. That I did not expect.

Not the

time to play a bowl like that.

He

will have to have... Well, he has

one bowl left to save it in the

quarterfinal.

Darren is just leaving

the forehand. He is thinking Jason

does not want to play it.

Also

saying, Jason, you can drive the

bowl out, so he needs another in.

This looks good. Certainly better.

Nice to stop for second. I think it

has. Interesting to see if that

second shot or not.

It is two bowls, which means Jason

cannot really drive out a shot bowl.

He has to draw this. After the last

one, you are tempted to move bid if

you want to move you move with the

third because you often drop short

on the forehand.

He would probably

agree. If he is going to change, the

third bowl is the time to change.

third bowl is the time to change. It

is what he is confident with at this

stage. If he fancies the backhand,

he has two stick with it. I would

expect a better attempt with this

one. Backhand it is.

He has more interest in this one. It

is all about good weight. He has to

get down with good weight. It must

run. Oh, it might be enough.

run. Oh, it might be enough.

Oh,

dear. I fancy red this time, but I

am wearing glasses, you cannot rely

on the!

You are wearing glasses, and

you are Welsh.

I am not biased at

all. I am very professional that

way, David.

I want a last end of the

tie-break, that is all. It is very

close. Let's have a good look. Oh,

it is in by an inch and a half. Well

done, Jason Greenslade.

done, Jason Greenslade. I just love

it when it gets to the last end of a

tie-break in an important game.

He

scrambled one in the end.

He is just

clinging on, isn't he?

He was in front of this match is one

end only, in the seventh, of the

first set, and now the matches tied

with one end to go.

with one end to go. Last end of the

tie-break, you can nominate to kill

the end, as often as you wish, but

you are only allowed to kill it

once.

As long as you are up to the jack,

Jason. You do not want anything in

the line in front. This is a decent

start.

And the same applies for Darren.

They are both attacking players. You

want to have a clear pathway through

to the jack. This is good.

That is

very good for Darren Burnett. Just

stood up a little bit, side on.

He

is tempted for the jack.

Natural

instinct to hit this. Going for it.

Darren is swapping sides now, the

right thing to do.

Jason set his

stall out. I am surprised he did not

go with the backhand.

With the clear

target.

But Jason likes his forehand

strike. Exactly, some players prefer

one 's side or the other. That is

not a bad bowl. He will go again.

Jack in the ditch is great, if he

follows it.

He is interested and needs to hurry

and he got it. A good bowl. He knew

that was close. It is up to Darren

to draw. Two bowls against one.

Yes,

on the bowl. A good strike.

Darren

so close with the last bowl, you

would expect him to be in the area.

Going onto his favourite backhand

and he does not like it.

Sometimes

it is hard to tell with Darren with

the body language but on that

occasion it was very obvious. I

think Jason needs another one there.

I believe he has to draw this, on

the forehand.

I would go forehand if

I were Jason and try to draw another

shot. He needs to try to get closer

if he can. There is the danger that

you force Darren into playing

weight.

Yes, John, but he has to

play. Something in this area. If he

gets into that area. The trouble is,

if he gets into this area, that

leaves the jack in the ditch but

anything behind is good.

Yes, he is on the forehand. Just

trying to put a really close bowl in

and not leave a target.

He is on a

wide line which suggests he is not

trying to get close, playing the

back bowl and leaving Darren the

draw.

Not even a draw, the problem

is he could run the bowl on the

forehand or backhand. He has two

seconds and that is what he is

looking at. I would not be surprised

if Darren plays weight to this. He

was so far away with the attempted

draw with the third bowl, that...

And he is very accurate. The only

problem is, his green bolt down the

rink is covering a direct strike to

those bowls. He will have to time

it. The red is into the green, so

more difficult than it would seem.

Yes, but it is on the forehand, as

well, if he wants to time it around

the green bowl. Any connection with

the red will be on the middle or

high side which means the red has to

go out.

It is one of those, you have

to go with your gut feeling.

It is a

toss of a coin. Run the bowls all

draw it. I think the percentage is

on the running shot. Two seconds, he

has just asked that. Which gives me

the impression, I know Darren would

not like it either!

It is that short

one causing the bother. He can not

go direct.

go direct.

Wow, I can see the

problem, I really can. If he had

been two feet away with the third,

he would have gone down there and

drawn it, but he is so far away.

The

third bowl could not have stopped

today -- stopped in a worse

position.

This is so important to

Jason. It is monumental in terms of

what he is trying to achieve this

week.

Now then, Darren, on his

backhand.

Going for the draw. He has

got this away a lot better. He is

trotting up after it and he must

know it is a lot closer.

Will it

run? He has drawn it. What a great

bowl by Darren Burnett under

pressure.

Credit to him. He is so

good at that, Darren Burnett. It

took a long time for him to work out

what to do and he played a brilliant

bowl. Jason

bowl. Jason Greenslade health match

for a number of minutes as Darren

decided what to do but what a

wonderful match, a fantastic game.

Congratulations, as you came after

you said, I am drained.

Absolutely,

the first set was strange. I thought

I was in control, playing well.

Jason came into a good game and I

probably should not have played a

runner when I did and it seemed to

implode and I was lucky to grab the

first set but it was that kind of

game, you did not know who would get

over the line. Even the last bowl, I

knew it was the right line but I did

not know it would run enough.

Darren

Burnett is into the semifinals again

as the next match features local lad

Wayne Willgress and in the opposing

corner, Greg Harlow, who took the

first set comfortably 11-2 and is in

control of the second set leading

9-6 as we join it in the ninth end.

29.5 metres.

APPLAUSE

Well, it's one of the four he needs.

Now, that was great making sure he

was behind the jack. He didn't want

to mess about... Doesn't look too

bad to me. A bit on the PC side, but

still in the area. That's useful.

Yeah, that's two.

Yeah, that's two. Greg debating

here. I'd try to remove one of those

bowls off the green.

He could just

draw it, as well, but he might be

looking at the running bowl. If he

plays it and gets it, they'll shake

hands. He's missed it.

hands. He's missed it.

I think

that's a very strange choice for

Greg, totally out of character.

He's

normally so good at working out what

to do. Just draw for the next one.

You're forcing Wayne

to do. Just draw for the next one.

You're forcing Wayne.

Didn't think

he was under a lot of pressure

there, Greg. He could have just

drawn down.

Certainly the way he's

been playing. He also knows that if

he is short, anything within two

feet is good.

feet is good. Surely he'll draw this

time.

It looks a draw, doesn't it?

He can draw this either side, Greg.

You'll expect him, with two bowls to

go, to get between either one of

those reds.

those reds.

Time out call. Greg has

one time-out remaining.

I'm amazed

he's even looking at this!

If he makes it inside the short red

one, that's it all over.

one, that's it all over.

Must draw,

I think.

Yes, backhand drop. That's

it, Greg. I understand why he played

it, because take one bowl out and

it's all over. He's been playing too

well today to let that happen.

well today to let that happen. Now,

will he speak up? He's not. Oh,

dear, oh, dear.

He's played a

nightmare, Greg. A nightmare.

He has

got the last bowl, which will be the

saviour. Just as well, too. He's

going to need it. I would expect.

Almost like a sort of exhibition

end, isn't it, for the crowd? I'll

go walkabout, let the opposition get

in with four bowls and I'll get

close.

He's got to make this one

account. That's another one.

Study,

study, study. That's run on a bit.

It's not bad, but it's very

beatable. You would expect Greg

Harlow to draw this. The three and

four bowls are a long way away. The

first two are fine but Greg was at

two feet on his last. I don't think

you can believe it. -- don't think

he can believe it.

Time-out called.

He's really edgy, isn't he? You can

see it on his face there, he's

really edgy about this. He's dug

himself into a hole here that he

needn't have.

Still expecting to draw it. Needs to

compose himself. He was drawing

these for fun earlier on.

Got it away smoothly. No problems on

the delivery.

I don't believe it, he's short! I

don't believe it! He's even further

away!

away!

Unbelievable.

While!

I can't

believe that end, I really can't.

Unbelievable.

I just cannot believe

that happened. I really can't. Well,

it's a strange old game, it really

is.

It's why we love it, they'll.

Game and now, tie-break. Wayne's got

to be in a really good position.

He's been given a gift here. What a

chance for a place in the semifinal.

APPLAUSE

Four inches past jack high.

Two

time-out remaining.

Wants to get past it and clean,

which he has. Probably two of the

best bowls he's played, for

deliveries.

Two good bowls.

Greg trying to compose himself, get

back into the form he had earlier in

the match. Better attempt, he's

played this one.

O! Word did that

come from?

Now it's a matter of Wayne. Doesn't

matter what weight he uses. Oh, he's

trying. He didn't get that one way

too well. Normally he is very

smooth. He's not too far away,

though, but will he get back to the

green bowl? The shoot out? He has.

That's enough. He bumped the

delivery and Wayne doesn't bump

bowls.

Perfect delivery, turned the

bowl away.

This is more like it, we

haven't had this excitement in the

whole much!

whole much!

Greg is running this,

he's hitting.

Jack in the ditch,

that's what he's after. Oh, goodness

me. Well, the jack didn't move and

that bowl's been popped a little

bit. I don't think there's anything

in the back of the head for Greg.

That wasn't the result for Greg and

he's not in a great position now.

Well, I wouldn't leave that. I'd

take a chance.

You never leave Greg

with the opportunity to pluck a bowl

out.

Something Jack high, about 15

inches would be good.

He's coming

down, looking for a wide line. Get

round the green.

Will he get back in

the second shot? That's the

important bit. Needs to get back in.

He hasn't. He's covered the re-spot.

I never like to leave Greg the

opportunity to pluck a

opportunity to pluck a bowl

out.

Trying to click the bowl away

without moving the jack.

He's

interested. He's got it. Where's the

jack gone?

Still one read, I think

stop while I -- still one red.

First

time in the match, he's in the lead.

Rebecca can't believe this.

This is

unbelievable.

Ten or 15 minutes ago

he was out of the championship and

now he's in a great position, one

end away from the semifinal.

end away from the semifinal. It's

like a quarterfinal of an FA Cup and

you're given three penalties in

extra time.

Jack is 26 metres.

APPLAUSE

So, Greg rolling in with a second

bowl. And he has to win. Wayne's

behinds, which is what he wants as

we see the supporters of Wayne

Willgress still there and still

shouting.

Well, he was slightly off target but

he got a result.

Greg Harlow having to draw the shot,

the jack's out to the side. He's

lined one but he wants this to be

close. And it is. Played well. Oh,

wow. Touching. Wayne Willgress will

play at this now, there's no point

in trying to draw off.

He gets a

Jack he could very well go all the

way into the ditch.

A quarter inch

short.

Pressure on the world number

one. Didn't look at any stage in

this much that this was going to

happen. He's trying to draw this

off.

That's out of character, I

thought he would have hit that.

Looks a bit heavy to me. Yeah...

It's not bad and gives him an option

but because he's got the last

bowl... The cloud two crowd are

clapping, they are knowledgeable,

they know he needs another one here.

The way that green bowls sitting,

right across the ring to the other

red bowl.

Wants to try to put a bit

of pressure on Greg at the last

delivery. If he wins this end you'll

have the last bowl of the next one.

Yes, he's in for a second now. Is he

going to drop right in front and

take that shot away? This is about

shot selection. Wayne was in a

position there open it up but now

it's going to be very difficult to

this. Really hard to save this now.

Such a difficult shot. You go out

wide, it'll never get back.

wide, it'll never get back.

Very

close...

Oh, what a bowl! That is a

bowl to win any championship, it

really is. What a bowl he played

their! Goodness me, he's just come

alive in the last 25 minutes!

Doesn't he deserve it? What a bowl

that was. A fantastic performance

and the Willgress supporters are

there. His mum is hugging everybody

inside. Absolutely fantastic game,

but only for the last 30 minutes as

we see Greg Harlow going out of the

rink and he has to do that because

it just went all wrong.

Full credit

to him, he took his chance when he

had it.

He did. My goodness me. He

made it hard. That last bowl was an

unbelievable shot.

Wayne Willgress

has knocked at the world number one!

How does that sound?

I'm really

stuck for words. I've been battered

there and just somehow bumbled over

the line. I've just... Yeah, I don't

know. I've dug deep and played a

couple of decent bowls and... I

don't know. Another four and another

four and all the fours. I don't

know! To win the second set...

Yeah... I don't know.

You said you

were batted. At which points did you

think, I still have a chance? You

are in a pretty desperate situation.

I don't think I had any chance at

any point in the game, I just kept

going and... Yeah, I'm stuck for

words. I really am stuck for words.

Yeah, wow. That was... I played

poor, but Greg kept putting me under

pressure and pressure and I kept

dropping short. I don't know if its

tension in my arm, I kept dropping

two fleet, two feed, two feed. And

then just took the chance of a full

length and prayed and, thank my

lucky stars, it's paid off.

An

extraordinary match. Wayne Willgress

has not tapped the world number one

and he's reached the semifinals

where he'll either Mervyn King or

Robert Paxton, who was runner-up

here in 2016. Here's what happened

there.

APPLAUSE

Two ends to go, second set.

Beautiful shot by Mervyn King. He

needs a couple over the next two

ends to share the set and force a

three end tie-break, which in this

particular match, I think is

probably a fair result.

I would

agree with you. It's very tight,

very low scoring.

Well... As we've

seen before, first bowls in, both

players now...

The gap is just over

a quarter of an inch and its 2.5

inches past Jack high.

He didn't

want to hear that! Quarter of an

inch. In many ways, Mervyn King has

lined the shot but has absolutely no

control over this. With his record

in this match, having given the shot

away a couple of times, you won't

want to do it again.

want to do it again.

Well, this is

brave.

brave. Knowing Mervyn King he was

probably trying to sneak up to that,

but on the short side. It was

difficult and he couldn't leave it

as it was. Very awkward for Mervyn

The red bowl is the better bowl as

it's just behind the jack. Wanting

just to get a touch on it.

Well... There's nothing easy about

this for Mervyn King. Robert

Paxton's shot is very obvious.

Mervyn

Paxton's shot is very obvious.

Mervyn, the best he can do is about

six inches Jack high on the side

he's just played if he gets past his

red bowl. That would be the very

best he could play. Can't touch his

own bowl.

He didn't look too happy

when he let that one go. It was not

up, that's why. Well... Really

dropped that. It's a long way away.

This must go down as a great chance.

Do it with this one and he really

could be setting himself up for a

semifinal place.

Again, he's on a good line but has

overplayed it.

Mervyn needs to get

something just Jack high, as you are

saying. Just past his own red bowl.

He has to be on the wide side, he

cannot get into this.

Lets get the

wide side. Any contact on that red,

that Jack is going out to the side.

Happier with this one. Just making

sure he was on the outside.

He's

played it safe.

Very safe.

played it safe.

Very safe. This is

distinctly possible. I don't think

you can do any more than two out of

it. He's already two in front if he

gets it right. The last end, four

up.

Even if he just tapped the red

bowl, a big advantage in a low

scoring game going into the last.

Good line, the last bowl.

This won't get down, I don't think.

I think he was slightly on the

inside line but pushed through a

little bit too much, Mervyn King,

from those first two bowl is not

moving on that end.

A very tactical

end and a very difficult one but

Mervyn will be delighted to get a

single. He knows what he has to do.

Must pick up at least one up here

and Robert Paxton will have to last

bowl -- have the last bowl.

Jack at 28 metres.

Tight game here

with Mervyn King and Robert Paxton

in this quarterfinal level. First

set, 5-5, second set, Mervyn King

one behind at 4-5. Must sport this

end to force a tie-break. That's a

great start.

19 shops have been scored in 17

ends. Just shows you how cagey this

game has been -- 19 shots.

There

hasn't even been a sniff of the

chance.

chance.

An opportunity to maybe

develop accounts, but nothing

obvious and certainly nothing easy.

Good first bowl and another good

first bowl. Seeing more and more of

that in this game.

that in this game. I wonder, those

two occasions when Mervyn gave the

shot away, have they come into his

mind? I'm sure they don't but

occasionally they may flit in and

say, do not give the shot away!

That's not too bad. A bit of

protection.

The gap, half an inch.

He knows if he gets off his own

bowl, he's got the chance.

Very close one, this, just needs to

run. Four bowls there. Three of them

within six or eight inches and one

about an inch away. This isn't easy

because the forehand is dangerous.

I

don't think he'll plate forehand, he

won't want to move the red bowl.

Mervyn will want to keep that short

bowl in the way. You can just pass

the last Paxton bowl and gets just

past Jack high. That's what he's

going to play.

Again he has to be very careful he

doesn't get into the front green

one.

He's played it well.

A super

shot there but the question is, is

it one or two? Two, Robert will

attack it.

Two read.

It is two, and

Robert will come right into this.

I

think so. He's going to attack this.

I don't think Robert would have

attacked it if it was just the one.

It will be a drive shot. Pick his

own hand, doesn't matter which side

he hits it.

He likes it. Oh, wow! What a result

that was.

A good strike by Robert

Paxton, right down the middle. Very

good hit. Court the bowl she wanted.

But he didn't put it on the jack and

he put it on the other red and got

the follow-through. 100% result on

the follow-through. This is not

going to be easy. He's only got this

bowl to stay in the championship.

He's going to have to run and run

hard, I think. He's short. Oh, it's

dropped away. It's going to be want

to green.

APPLAUSE

A fascinating game, no doubt about

that. Mervyn King just feeling with

his last bowl. -- failing.

His confirmation of the semifinal

line-up and a reminder we are on the

red button on Saturday from 9:30am

for Darren Burnett against Mark

Dawes and then on BBC One at 2:30pm

Robert Paxton against Wayne

Willgress. That's a dramatic

quarterfinal day at Potter is done

and dusted. During us on Saturday

for the semifinals. From the team

here at Potters, goodbye.