Chestney and Dawes upset favourites to win pairs title at World Indoor Bowls Championships
By Thomas Giles
Jamie Chestney and Mark Dawes caused a shock in the pairs final of the World Indoor Bowls Championships at the Potters Leisure Resort in Great Yarmouth by beating Greg Harlow and Nick Brett.
English duo Chestney, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, and Dawes, who reached the semi-final of the tournament last year in their first year together, won the first two ends of the match by taking two singles.
However, Harlow, the world number one, and Brett left the crowd aghast as they played inch-perfect bowls to take the next three ends.
The crowd were on the edge of their seats once more in the sixth end as Chestney stole a single to tie the scores at 3-3.
The men's pairs final saw Glasgow 2014 silver medallist face Jamie Chestney, in red, face world number one Greg Harlow, in green ©World Bowls Tour
Favourites Harlow and Brett then looked set for victory after a good start to the final end of the set.
But it was Chestney and Dawes who came out on top as they took a great triple off their opponents to seal the set at a six-all finish.
Harlow and Brett were then 3-1 up at the conclusion of the fourth end, but they suffered from a change in fortune in the fifth as Chestney and Dawes collected an amazing count of five to swing the momentum of the match their way.
Chestney and Dawes, who defeated Robert Paxton and Jonathan Ross of England and Scotland respectively in their semi-final, then completed their amazing turnaround by sealing the second set 9-5, handing them the men's pairs title.
Greg Harlow could not take the momentum from his men's singles win earlier in the day into the pairs final ©World Bowls Tour
Prior to the pairs final, defeated finalist Garlow had come back from a set down to defeat compatriot Martin Puckett in the men's singles.
Puckett, widely considered one of the rising stars of the sport, was in great form in the first set, taking the final two ends with doubles to clinch it 7-6.
Harlow, however, recovered magnificently to level the match by winning the second set 9-4.
He then carried on this momentum into a tense tie-break which went down to the last end.
Puckett played a slight runner on his last bowl, which missed by a fraction, handing Harlow the match 2-1.
Elsewhere in the men's singles, number one seed Paul Foster from Scotland came through a tough tie against English unseeded player Lea Blackham.
The unfancied qualifier took a surprise lead in the match by securing the first set 8-2.
Foster, however, showed why he is the number one seed for the tournament, taking the next set 12-4 before sealing the match in the tiebreak, giving him a 2-1 win overall.
The final match of the day, also a men's singles affair, saw Jason Greenslade of Wales defeat Scotland's Robert Gordon 8-2, 6-6.
The competition continues tomorrow with the mixed pairs final the main event at 1:00pm.
January 2018: Doig and Chestney beat local heroes to earn mixed singles final place at World Indoor Bowls Championships
January 2018: Doig's experience takes her past talented young Australian into World Indoor Bowls semi-finals
January 2018: Field and Burnett stun defending champions in mixed pairs event at World Indoor Bowls Championships
January 2018: Former winner Anderson through at World Indoor Bowls Championship
January 2018: Six-time winner Marshall beaten at World Indoor Bowls Championships
Thomas Giles Junior Reporter
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Prior to joining insidethegames.biz in November 2017, Thomas worked as a freelance sports writer specialising in football. He has covered several tournaments and events including the 2017 Confederations Cup along with many Champions League and Europa League matches. Thomas is particularly interested in Russian sport and society and is a fluent Russian speaker having studied the language at the University of Nottingham as well as living in the country for several years.
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