Greg Harlow Regains No1 Spot in the World Rankings
Written by Richard MaddiesonEngland's Greg Harlow has regained his place at the top of the World Bowls Tour ranking list. The reigning English indoor singles champion from the City of Ely club in Cambridgeshire was confirmed as the new number one following his runner-up spot at last week's Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli, the third and final WBT ranking event of the season.
Scotland's David Gourlay ended a ten-year wait for his fifth World Bowls Tour title when he claimed the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli following a devastating performance against England's Greg Harlow. During that barren spell, the 45-year-old Scot had lost in no fewer than nine finals, so no wonder he was mightily relieved at his change of fortune. “That's a massive weight of my shoulders,” said Gourlay following a masterful 10-1, 8-4 destruction of a player who will start next season as the new world number one.
Semi Final Lineup is Confirmed at the Welsh Grand Prix
Written by Richard MaddiesonWelsh hopes of a home success in the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli were extinguished with a quarter-final defeat for local favourite John Price leaving England and Scotland to battle it out for the title. Four of the top six in the provisional World Bowls Tour ranking list will contest the semi-finals, with Scotland's David Gourlay, runner-up last year, facing England's Mervyn King, at this stage for the first time, and Scotland's Paul Foster meeting his England rival for the world number one spot, Greg Harlow.
Defending champion Mark Royal and the current world title holder Andy Thomson were both beaten in the second round of the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli. Royal was beaten 8-9, 10-5, 1-2 by Scottish qualifier Wayne Hogg, while Thomson went out to his old rival from north of the border, record five-time world champion Alex Marshall, 7-11, 7-6, 0-2.
The Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix
Written by Richard MaddiesonGourlay, the number eight seed and beaten finalist last year, kept his hopes alive of going one better when he edged out England's Nicky Brett 3-8, 8-6, 2-1, to book his place in the semi-finals. But Brett, the number 15 seed, was left to rue a missed opportunity against the former world number one. After winning the opening set 8-3, Brett led 6-3 in the second with three ends remaining, but left the door open when he dropped a three, and Gourlay didn't need a second invitation, claiming singles on each of the last two ends to take the set 8-6, and then recover from losing the opening tie break end to win the next two.
Monday Roundup Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix
Written by Richard MaddiesonThree seeds dispersed so far in the opening round of the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli, and, sadly for local supporters, all have been home favourites. Jason Greenslade followed Stewart Anderson and Robert Weale out of the exit door when beaten in emphatic fashion by Scottish qualifier Wayne Hogg, avenging in no uncertain way his quarter-final defeat at the hands of the Welshman in the World indoor championships.
Whether suffering a hangover from the disappointment of losing in the World indoor singles final eight days earlier, Greenslade was never at the races against the impressive Scottish international who continually applied the pressure with some accurate lead bowls and duly cantered to a 9-1, 10-4 victory.
England's Mark Royal opened his defence of the title with a straight sets defeat of South African qualifier Greg Bingham.
From 2-2 in the opening set, the top seed from Suffolk, fresh from winning the English Champion of Champions singles title the previous day, powered home 10-3. A possible tie-break situation appeared on the cards when the South African led 4-2 in the second, but a maximum count of four on the seventh end turned the tide back in Royal's favour and he went on to win it 7-6.
World number one Paul Foster eased through to the second round at the expense of 48-year-old Hong Kong housewife Tammy Tham. Tham had the distinction of being the only woman player to qualify for the three world ranking tournaments this season, and she put up a plucky display against the Scottish star before going down 10-1, 8-4.
England's Mervyn King, the world number five from Norfolk, is the first player through to Thursday's quarter-finals after defeating one of the first round giantkillers, young England qualifier Calvin Leuty, conqueror of Welsh star Robert Weale the previous day. King edged the first set 6-5 with a single on the last end, and it was nip and tuck in the second, with the 22-year-old from Lincolnshire more than holding his own, but from 5-5, King made his greater experience tell with nine unanswered shots over the last few ends to run out a comfortable 14-5 winner.
RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
Paul Foster (Scotland) bt Tammy Tham (Hong Kong) 10-1, 8-4.
Wayne Hogg (Scotland) bt Jason Greenslade (Wales) 9-1, 10-4.
Mark Royal (England) bt Greg Bingham (South Africa) 10-3, 7-6.
SECOND ROUND
Mervyn King (England) bt Calvin Leuty (England) 6-5, 14-5.
The Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix
Written by Richard MaddiesonCanada's Peter Ls Wong caused a major surprise on the opening day of the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli by defeating young Welsh star Stewart Anderson. The Canadian qualifier toppled the 2010 world indoor singles finalist and 12th seed, 8-7, 2-11, 2-0, to set up last 16 clash with provisional world number one Greg Harlow (England) or the new Welsh indoor champion who will be crowned on Monday.
The Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix 2012
Written by Richard MaddiesonHome supporters suffered a major disappointment on the second day of the Co-operative Funeralcare Welsh Grand Prix at Llanelli when one of their favourite sons, Robert Weale, was beaten by a young qualifier from England making his debut at this level. Calvin Leuty, a 22-year-old accountant who plays out of the Spalding club in Lincolnshire, certainly got his figures right as he recovered from a set down to topple Wales' top ranked player, 6-8, 10-5, 2-1, to set up a second round clash with England's Mervyn King.





