David Gourlay misses out

SCOT David Gourlay and Billy Jackson from Lincoln suffered a second successive WBT world pairs final defeat in yesterday's title decider at the Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk. The duo were beaten with the last bowl of a dramatic shoot-out to lose 4-9, 8-5, 2-1 to Devon's Ian Bond and Anglo Scot Andy Thomson.

Thomson afterwards described the bowl as "the greatest I've ever played."

Jackson and Gourlay, who won back to back titles in 2006 and 2007, dominated the opening set. In the second, Bond and Thomson, seeded seventh, took the lead for the first time in the match with a double on the tenth end to lead 7-5, and then added a single on the last to take the set 8-5 and squared the match at one set all. Then in a shoot-out Bond and Thomson took an early 1-0 advantage despite a superb last-bowl deliver from Gourlay who kept them in the game once again in the second end, drawing a perfect shot with a match lie against him to take the tie break to a last-end decider.

This time Gourlay and Jackson had one hand on the trophy when they held the match winner, but after considerable discussion with Bond, Thomson delivered a perfectly-executed last delivery, picking up the jack with a clean blow and carrying it straight to the ditch and lying in an unbeatable position to seal the tie break 2-1.