Bowls: Elgin duo stun champions to reach semis

Elgin duo Andy Barker and Mike Stepney were the surprise package of the opening exchanges in the Potters World Indoor Championships at Hopton and are the first players to make it to tomorrow's semi-final stages at the Norfolk venue.

In their first-round match, the Elgin duo got off to a flier, stunning 2007 runners up Jason Greenslade and Rob Weale from Wales 7-5, 7-7, and then in yesterday's quarter-final took the scalp of defending champions Ian Bond and Andy Thomson with a crushing 8-6, 12-1 scoreline.

The Scots will be back in action tomorrow and will face English duo Mark Royal and Simon Skelton or twice former champions Billy Jackson and David Gourlay who go head-to-head today.

Jackson and Gourlay, who are unseeded, had to dig deep in their first round match against Aussies Barry Lester and Jay Globbits, but scored over the closing stages in both sets to win 6-5, 9-8.

Today, Alex Marshall and Paul Foster, will clash with the hot English combination of Nick Brett and Jamie Chestney for a place in the semi-finals against former winners Mervyn King and Kelvin Kerkow.