After defeats in three semi-finals and two quarter-finals, Andy Thomson and Ian Bond finally secured the Potters Holidays world indoor pairs title at Great Yarmouth yester-day when they defeated Mark McMahon and Greg Harlow, the No.2 seeds, 4-11, 11-6, 2-1.
The pair kept the audience on the edge of their seats in the best-of-three-end tie-break, with Thomson drawing shot with his last delivery on the first end and then Harlow replying in exactly the same fashion on the second, before Thomson swung his partner into the air after Harlow's last bowl went wide of the head.
Hopes of the title coming north of the border were kicked into touch in the semis with David Gourlay and Billy Jackson's bid for a hat trick ended when they lost 10-5, 6-6 to the new champions, while Paul Foster and Alex Marshall succumbed to a phenomenal display of precision bowls by Harlow, aided by McMahon 8-8, 11-5.
Scotland's men and women got off to a great start in the 11th Quadrennial World Outdoor Championships in New Zealand and with five rounds played, have dropped points in only three matches.
In the men's event, Darren Burnett and Billy Mellors are unbeaten in their section and are second top of their section with a game in hand over leaders England.
In the triples, Wayne Hogg, Willie Wood and David Peacock are in pole position on shots from England as they bid to retain the title they won in Ayr four years ago. They, too, had comfortable wins, beating Cook Islands, South Africa, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, while suffering only one defeat, in their fourth-round match yes-terday against Australia, 21-10.
Margaret Letham skipped Joyce Dickey, Seona Black and Lynn Stein to five wins in the fours, chalking up wins over Hong Kong, Swaziland, Samoa, Canada and Norfolk Island and are second top of their section on shots from Australia.
Kay Moran has had a tough baptism in her quest for singles' glory, with three of her matches going the distance. On the opening day, she lost 21-20 to Canada's Leanne Chinnery but beat Irit Grenchel from Israel by the same scoreline in her second match.
Yesterday, she took the scalp of Ireland's Margaret Johnston, the defending champion, also 21-20, then added a 21-4 win over Argen-tina's Alicia Goodliffe, but was beaten 21-18 in her last match, against Milagros Witheridge from the Philippines.
SCOTTISH CUP East Lothian, the defending champions who were without the services of several players who are on international duty, safely negotiated their passage into next month's first round proper of the Scottish Cup, beating West Lothian 82-56.
Blantyre scored the biggest win of the day, beating Clyde-bank 122-42, while Lanarkshire defeated Bon Accord 114-36.
Aberdeen were 125-53 winners over Teviotdale, Arbroath beat Inverness 101-66, Balbardie accounted for Cowal 107-63, Dundee came out top 101-73 against Inverclyde and Coatbridge eased past Nithsdale 100-62.
Midlothian, however, suffered a surprise 72-71 defeat at the hands of Alloa.
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