Bowls: East Lothian's Foster into semis to take on fellow Scot

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 09:08

THE home challenge for this year's Scottish International Open bowls title was two-fold in today's semi-finals at the Dewars Centre in Perth.

Auchinleck's Stewart Anderson staked his claim by defeating reigning world champion Billy Jackson.

Then East Lothian's Paul Foster set up the all tartan head-to-head when he accounted for Anglo Scot Andy Thomson in yesterday's quarter-finals.

Anderson, who hasn't dropped a set in his three matches to date, continued his amazing run of form.

He came out a clear-cut 8-3, 10-5 winner with some absolutely stunning inch-perfect draws against 39-year-old Jackson.

Smiling, Anderson, who is the only qualifier remaining in the event, said: "I can't believe I've made it to the semis.

"I'm delighted. I thought I would be lucky to get past David Gourlay and am just amazed that I've reached this stage.

"For some reason I didn't feel as much pressure today and wasn't quite as nervous as I had been in my previous game and felt I played the big shots really well."

Paul Foster, the No.4 seed, who represents the East Lothian indoor club, won through 10-5, 9-4 but admitted: "The match was a lot harder than the scoreline suggests.

"I scored three shots on the last end of the opening set and then, from 4-4 in the second, I counted on the last four ends to win.

"I am really looking forward to taking on Stewart in the semi."

Devon Destroyer Ian Bond and Mervyn King will battle it out for the other final spot.

Both players ended the Welsh challenge with Bond, the winner of this title in 2003 and again in 2005, hanging on to beat Rob Weale 9-3, 8-8, while King finished strongly in both sets to see off last year's beaten finalist John Price 9-5, 7-6.