Donaldson gives world no. 16 a scare

GUERNSEY bowlers had little to show for their efforts at the British Isles men's bowls championship at Perth yesterday. But Nicky Donaldson, in particular, earned praise from his opponent, Billy Jackson.

As Channel Islands singles champion, Donaldson was drawn to play Jackson, the English champion, ranked 16 in the world, and he started in typically determined fashion, scoring six shots without reply over the first three ends.

'I can tell you I was worried,' Jackson admitted after his seemingly comfortable 21-13 victory.

'Nicky was holding three shots on the fourth end, when I was lucky enough to put the jack in the ditch for two shots.'

Jackson got back to 8-8 after 10 ends and took the lead for the first time on the 11th, but was only three shots in front after 19 ends, at 16-13, when he clinched a place in the semi-finals with a treble and a double.

It was Donaldson's second defeat of the day.

Together with Neal Mollet, the Guernsey duo found the Scottish champions Steve Currie and David Peacock, in good form, and lost 22-16.

However, they actually scored on 12 ends compared with the Scots' nine.

Mollet went on to skip the Channel Islands triple against an Arbroath trio skipped by the upwardly mobile Darren Burnett, a former winner of the World Indoor Bowls Council singles title.

The Scots allowed Steve Desperques, Darren Setters and Mollet only three singles and a late count of four as they scorched to a 26-7 victory.