Bowls: Gourlay defeats Foster to win third World Mixed Pairs title

After winning in 2008 and 2009 with Ceri Ann Davies, this time he guided Maidenhead’s Debbie Stavrou to her first title in the event and denied Paul Foster a second title in two days after he won the world pairs with Tranent’s Alex Marshall.

Playing in his first ever Mixed Pairs final, Foster partnered Kerry Packwood from Wales. The match went to a best-of-three deciding shoot-out after Gourlay and Stavrou battled back from 3-0 down to win the opening set 9-3. Foster and Packwood then resisted pressure to take the second 9-6.

The shoot-out opened with Gourlay smacking the jack with his last bowl to count the first end, Foster counted the second and then Foster narrowly missed the target with his last delivery to leave Gourlay and Stavrou with the title 2-1.