
Five new faces will line up on the distaff side of the Ambassador Cruise Line World Indoor Bowls Mixed Pairs Championship and the first two of these females are the reigning IIBC Ladies World Indoor Champion - Nor Farrah Ain Abdullah from Malaysia in the Red corned and South Africa's Colleen Piketh in the Green corner.
She teamed up with World number 1 and twice former winner of this title Stewart Anderson from Cumnock in Scotland. A winner in 2021 with Julie Forrest and again in 2023 this time with Ceri Ann Glen while Colleen buddied 2023 Singles champion Jamie Walker.
The match was as predicted, a very close affair, with both newcomers giving a good account of themselves. It's a tough gig though with each player only allowed two bowls per end over the best of two sets of nine ends, plus a best of three end decider should the sets format finish at one all.
The Malaysia/Scotland partnership led all the way to the penultimate end of the first set when South Africa/England scored a single to move in front 7-6.
With the set against him Anderson altered the head with his first bowl, Walker then drew with his last bowl and with a dramatic final delivery Anderson managed to slip inside Walker's holding shot to take the count and share the set at 7-7.
It was all to play for in the second set, but once again Farrah and Anderson made the early running with Piketh and Walker unlucky with some of the breaks of the jack.
They battled all the way though and narrowly missed out 7-6 - with Farrah and Anderson edging through by one and a half sets to a half - and making their debut and considering that they do not have a facility similar to the Potters Arena in their country - both women certainly delivered a credible performance.
RESULT
World Mixed Pairs QF1
MALAYSIA/SCOTLAND (Nor Farrah Ain Abdullah & Stewart Anderson) bt SOUTH AFRICA/ENGLAND (Colleen Piketh & Jamie Walker) 7-7, 7-6;
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