WBT @ West Loithian Indoor Bowling Club
Semi Final Two
World number 1 Stewart Anderson and qualifier Aaron Johnson took to the streaming rink in the second of the semi-finals fighting for the right to tackle Jason Banks in the afternoon final. Johnson playing his 3rd consecutive match in front of the cameras and crowd remained as unphased as he has done for the past three days. Anderson appeared to be scratching about for line and weight in the opening set and found himself trailing 7-5 after a great double for Johnson. The qualifier made his first tactical error when he lost the jack in the ditch searching for his preferred minimum distance mat and jack combination. It proved to be a short-lived error as Johnson opened end 8 with a front toucher at the new maximum length jack. Anderson could only look on in disbelief as his runner somehow failed to convert despite good contact with the head and saw him head up the last trailing 7-4 rather than level. Anderson took full advantage of a slack Johnson end as the defending champion lay three shots with a single bowl each to come. Johnson handled the pressure perfectly, drawing to the winning bowl and falling in to claim the first set.
Anderson started the second set attacking early to score a single, but still struggling to find his weight and line on the draw. Johnson in contrast looked to be enjoying every minute of it. End 5 saw Johnson attack an Anderson side toucher early, cornering the jack into the far-right hand side of the ditch. Anderson re-drew the end winner within 10 inches of the ditch. Anderson appeared to be in the ascendency as he smothered the jack again in end 6, despite a great Johnson drive the end outcome remained the exact same on the re-spot as Anderson hit the front 5-2. Anderson continued to dominate the draw, forcing Johnson into yet another attacking shot. He could only look on as the qualifier made perfect contact with the front bowl plant to remove Anderson’s winner and double the misery as the running bowl momentum brought it into the head for a count of two. Anderson opened end 9 with a toucher but its position was short lived as Johnson altered the head with his very first bowl, he doubled it up with his 3rd bowl to make a set lie. Johnson deliberated between draw or drive and eventually settle on the latter, landing the Anderson winner out the head and up on to the jack to force a match lie with a double to leave Anderson in a world of trouble. Anderson set his final delivery off and looked to at minimum close down the head and increase the difficulty for Johnson. It was the qualifier celebrating his place in the final as the final bowl found the wrong contact and ran through a gap leaving the two shots required for the jubilant qualifier. Aaron Johnson beats Stewart Anderson sets 1.5 – 0.5 (8-4, 6-6)
(Matt Osborne)
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