Scottish International Open

WBT @ West Lothian Indoor Bowling Club

Semi-final 1

World number 4 Les Gillett and world number 7 Jason Banks contested the first of the semi-finals here at the 2024 Scottish International Open. Banks declared end 1 early, opting to leave his last bowl in the mat with the head fraught with danger. A slack third end from both players and again on end 5 highlighting the players preference for playing in one direction of the rink. Gillett left chasing the first set at 6-1 down with Banks stepping in at the slack ends to score. Requiring three shots to take the set into the final end Gillet had the opportunity for a chap and lie conversion to make at least three shots, seeing his effort miss on the wide side and concede the first set in end 8.

Banks picked up where he left the scoring in set 1 as he trailed the jack for three and added a fourth for a 5-1 lead. Gillett dispatched a great runner with a back toucher against to flick the Banks winner away and make a treble of his own. Banks responded by drawing the second shot to maintain his second set advantage. End 5 brought moment of the match for Gillett, an exceptional draw with his last bowl to put himself back in the match. It brought about a change in momentum as Gillett piled on the pressure, his first 3 bowls counting before adding a fourth after a failed Banks runner. Banks backed himself once again on the drive, fortunate to remove 2 of Gillett’s bowls after falling tight of the target. A wonder bowl by Gillett at end 8 to make three shots to lead 8-6 up the last to force a tie-break. Banks looked to have the match wrapped up as Gillett left his first 3 deliveries short of the jack, only to pull another wonder bowl from his locker to draw the second shot to force a set lie. Banks had covered the back position with his 3rd bowl and the tactic worked perfectly as the Garioch man dispatched a forehand runner perfectly to lift the jack to the ditch and score the 2 shots required to win the match. Jason Banks beat Les Gillett sets 1.5-0.5 (8-2, 8-8)

(Matt Osborne)