Tolchard suffers unexpected defeat

SAM Tolchard, who has been on the crest of a wave for the past 12 months, crashed down to earth in Belfast yesterday, when his bid for the British Isles outdoor singles title was foiled by little-known Welshman Roger Jones.

Carrying the expectations of the English supporters, and with one eye on the possibility of being rewarded with England's singles berth in next year's Commonwealth Games, the 19-year-old Torquay star was never at the races in a one-sided quarter final.

"The main problem was that I couldn't find the centre of the rink," said Tolchard. "My woods either held off or swung too much, and when I looked on target, I kept on going through gaps."

But what really scuppered Tolchard's hopes was the super-consistent play of his opponent, who has played for his county, Monmouthshire, but who has yet to catch the eye of his national selectors.

Tolchard scored two shots on the very first end, but was unable to score another shot until the tenth end, when he was 13-2 adrift.

A productive spell saw him score six shots over the next three ends to put him 13-8 behind, but Jones, in mean mood, sealed a 21-8 victory with a devastating spell of 1-3-2-2.

"I was surprised that Sam didn't try to change things by throwing a short jack, or going long," said Bowls England CEO Tony Allcock, who won a record number of world titles in his distinguished career.

"Sam's been going great guns for some time, and no-one expected him to lose that one – but a defeat like that might do him good in the long run, because it's all part of the learning process."