Cumbria IBC, Carlisle, Cumbria:
International Open Qualifier 4 quarter-finals:
Robert Chisholm (The Parks, North Shields) bt Scott Kennedy (East Lothian) 7-6, 7-3
Stewart Anderson (Auchinleck) bt David Baillie (Stonehaven) 7-5, 8-4
Trevor Taylor (Cumbria) bt Glenn Skipp (Thornaby) 4-4, 4-4, 2-1
Dominic Byrne (Hebburn) bt John McHutchison (Coatbridge) 5-4, 8-3
Semi-finals:
Stewart Anderson (Auchinleck) bt Robert Chisholm 6-6, 7-5
Trevor Taylor (Cumbria) bt Dominic Byrne (Hebburn) 6-6, 7-4
Final:
Trevor Taylor bt Stewart Anderson 5-6, 7-2, 2-0
International Open Qualifier 5 quarter-finals:
James McLarrie (Coatbridge) bt Daniel McDougall (Midlothian) 9-2, 7-2
John McCrorie (East Lothian) bt Ronnie Duncan (Midlothian) 3-7, 6-1, 2-1
Darren Burnett (Arbroath & District) bt Ronnie McConnachie (Inverclyde) 8-3, 10-0
Craig Brown (Blantyre) bt Stuart Cruickshank (Elgin & District) 8-3, 3-8, 2-1
Semi-finals:
James McLarrie (Coatbridge) bt John McCrorie (East Lothian) 7-2, 6-6
Darren Burnett (Arbroath & District) bt Craig Brown (Blantyre) 7-8, 5-4, 2-1
Final:
Darren Burnett bt James McLarrie 7-2, 6-7, 2-1
Bristol IBC:
International Open Qualifier 6 quarter-finals:
Robert Paxton (Exonia, Exeter) bt Steven Edwards (Cardiff) 7-2, 9-1
Paul Simpson (Spalding) bt Julie Saunders (Dolphin, Poole) 8-3, 8-6
Lee Rowland (Sudbury, Suffolk) bt Chris Eadie (Belfast) 9-6, 10-0
Jonathan Tomlinson (Islwyn) bt Richard Bolton (Barking) 7-6, 8-0
Semi-finals:
Robert Paxton (Exonia, Exeter) bt Paul Simpson (Spalding) 8-1, 8-3
Lee Rowland (Sudbury, Suffolk) bt Jonathan Tomlinson (Islwyn) 5-8, 7-2, 2-0
Final:
Robert Paxton bt Lee Rowland 5-4, 11-1
International Open Qualifier 7 quarter-finals:
Andrew Walters (Malvern) bt Phil Rowlands (Cardiff) 7-1, 6-3
Andrew Oliver (Islwyn) bt John Boyd (Belfast) 6-6, 8-2
Jamie Chestney (Gallow, Norfolk) bt John McCullough (Belfast) 6-5, 9-1
Pat Briscoe (Paddington) bt Paul Taylor (Ogwr, Bridgend) 7-5, 6-4
Semi-finals:
Andrew Walters (Malvern) bt Andrew Oliver (Islwyn) 5-6, 13-0, 2-1
Pat Briscoe (Paddington) bt Jamie Chestney (Gallow, Norfolk) 0-8, 11-3, 2-1
Final:
Andrew Walters bt Pat Briscoe 5-4, 8-2
Newcomer Walters Qualifies For International Open In Bristol
Andrew Walters, a 21-year-old from Malvern, will make his debut on the World Bowls Tour next season after securing a place in the 2008 International Open, following success in the WBT & Professional Bowls Association (PBA) UK National Qualifiers in Bristol.
Fellow Englishman Robert Paxton, from Exeter, also survived the International Open qualifying event at the Bristol IBC – and the pair will be joined in the event by Cumbrian Trevor Taylor and Scotsman Darren Burnett, winners of the parallel events at the Cumbria IBC in Carlisle.
After beating veteran Welshman Phil Rowlands in the quarter-finals, Walters overcame a narrow first set defeat in the semi-final to beat another Welshman Andrew Oliver 5-6, 13-0, 2-1. In the final, he faced Londoner Pat Briscoe – and swooped to a straight sets 5-4, 8-2 win over the his Paddington club opponent to earn his maiden place in a WBT ranking event.
Robert Paxton boasts a WBT world ranking of 21 after a sensational run which saw him reach the 2006 World Championship semi-finals, as a qualifier! The 30-year-old was in sparkling form in Bristol, convincingly winning his quarter and semi-final clashes in straight sets before beating Suffolk’s Lee Rowland, from Sudbury, 5-4, 11-1 in the final.
There was Scottish interest in both qualifying finals in Carlisle – but Cumbria club hero Trevor Taylor took full advantage of ‘home’ knowledge by overcoming Stewart Anderson, from Auchinleck, 5-6, 7-2, 2-0 in the Qualifier 4 final.
The 32-year-old from Carlisle is celebrating his first appearance in the International Open since qualifying for the event in 2004.
Darren Burnett faced fellow Scots in his final three games, ending up by stemming a second set fight back by James McLarrie in the Qualifier 5 final to clinch a 7-2, 6-7, 2-1 victory over his Coatbridge opponent.
Burnett, a 32-year-old policeman from Arbroath, is back on the World Bowls Tour for the third successive season after qualifying for the Scottish International Open last year. A former Scottish Open runner-up, Burnett was a surprise quarter-finalist in the 2003 World Championship.
The 2008 International Open, the second biggest event of the World Bowls Tour season, will take place at the Olympos Leisure Centre in Burgess Hill from 23-30 November.
Official website: www.worldbowlstour.com Watch all of the action live - and re-live the excitement of all matches as replays, downloads and on DVD - on www.247.tv
Thanks to Howard Harding