Stewart Anderson and Darren Burnett won the all-Scotland title decider at the Imagine Cruising World Indoor Bowls Open Pairs Championships at Potters Resorts, Hopton-On-Sea today against Inverurie's Jason Banks and Paul Foster MBE from Troon in the best of two sets of eleven ends final 8-5, 11-5.
Foster, who had played his opening World Singles match against Aussie Aron Sherriff just 90 minutes earlier with red bowls, had to change to green this time round, but he had no complaints.
The first set was tied at 3-3 and 5-5 but Burnett played a real bomb on the ninth end - two shots down on the head he managed to get a single out of it and again on the tenth racked up another single.
Playing the last and needing three shots to win the set, Foster struck the head with his last bowl and when the dust settled Anderson and Burnett's red bowl had somehow miraculously stayed on the rink within inches of the ditch and saved their bacon - had it gone into the ditch then Banks and Foster would have scored that treble and won the set.
In the second set, Anderson and Burnett went 5-0 ahead but three counts on the trot brought Banks and Foster into the contention at 5-4, but despite some great bowling from both teams, Anderson and Burnett scored on three of the next four ends to take an 11-5 lead and therefore take the title with an end to spare.
A gallant Foster said "over the piece I think Stewart and Darren were the best pair and deserved their win".
Anderson & Burnett now go into the record books as three time winners of this title. They won for the first time in 2016 against fellow Scots Ronnie Duncan and Colin Walker then in 2022 they denied Mark Dawes and Jamie Chestney back to back victories.
On their way to this title they gave an impeccable display to beat Ian Catchpole and Aaron Johnson in straight sets, but were pushed all the way in the quarter finals by regular Irish qualifiers Mark McPeak and Stuart Bennett, getting over the finishing line in a photo finish 11-4, 5-11, 2-1.
In the semis they once against got the better of Dawes and Chestney in a tight exchange 8-6, 9-8 to set up their tile at the title.
Anderson will be back in action tomorrow eyeing up a second title at this year's Championships, this time in the Mixed Pairs final as the defending champion alongside Ceri Ann Glen from Wales.
He lines up against his former partner when he won the title - Julie Forrest and this time she will partner England's Nicky Brett.
RESULT
Stewart Anderson & Darren Burnett (Scot) bt Jason Banks & Paul Foster 8-5, 11-5.
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