Gower's world title bid ends at semi-final stage

Galgate's Janice Gower was knocked out in the semi-finals of the ladies matchplay singles at the World Indoor Bowls Championships.
Janice Gower.Janice Gower.
Janice Gower.

The England international went down 6-5, 8-7 to defending champion Ellen Falkner at the Potters Leisure Resort in Great Yarmouth in a match screened live on the BBC.

Gower put a fine effort against her compatriot, three times a winner since 2006, despite being 6-1 down at one stage in the first.

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A storming finish saw the Lancastrian narrowly miss out 6-5 after chalking up singles on each of the last four ends.

In the second, trailing 6-5 with two ends to play, Gower needed a treble to take the match to a best-of-three tie break but she could only muster a single as her brave bid to reach the final ended.

Galgate’s finest had booked her spot in the semi-finals with a fine 5-6, 7-4, 2-0 win over 20-year-old rising star Katy Smith in the last eight on Saturday.

Smith chalked up a good treble on the seventh end to move 5-4 ahead and, although she dropped the penultimate end, she recouped and counted the vital shot on the last end to win 6-5.

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It was a similar story in the second, with shots being traded end-for-end and it was tied at 3-3 on the sixth end, but this time it was Gower who scooped a treble on the seventh end and went on to win the set 7-4.

She kept the momentum going in the tie break to win 2-0.

Gower was also one of three women to take on the men at the event having also qualified for the open singles.

The Blackpool Newton Hall-attached bowler fell at the first hurdle on Sunday however to 2006 champion Mervyn King.

King took the opener 10-3 with an end to spare and looked home and hosed when he led 8-3 with just three ends to play in the second.

However successive doubles for Gower put a different perspective on the outcome and she will no doubt look back with a degree of disappointment at losing a single on the last end and the match 9-7.

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