Merrien into final
AFTER making a seemingly disastrous start in her WBT world Match Play semi-final with rising Welsh star Kerry Packwood yesterday, Guernsey's British Isles indoor singles champion Ali Merrien turned on an awesome display to clinch a place in today's final at Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk.
AFTER making a seemingly disastrous start in her WBT world Match Play semi-final with rising Welsh star Kerry Packwood yesterday, Guernsey's British Isles indoor singles champion Ali Merrien turned on an awesome display to clinch a place in today's final at Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk.
'I was quite stiff to start with, so I opened my shoulders with my last bowl and took out my own bowls to drop a full house,' said Merrien.
'But it loosened me up and cured the problem, and I soon settled to a good rhythm.'
Merrien (pictured) defeated the WIBC world under-25 champion, 11-6, 10-3, scored four shots on the second end and was holding another full house when Packwood skilfully drew the shot with the last bowl of the third end.
From then on it was one-way traffic, with Merrien piling shots around the jack and Packwood always on the back foot.
My notes on the game say it all: every time Merrien bowled close to the jack, I entered an 'x' in my notebook – and by the end of the game it looked like a Valentines Day card sent by a besotted suitor.
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