Les Gillett is about as popular as a wrong bias on the World Bowls Tour and the Melton Mowbray menace can get his comeuppance against Australian
BRETT WILKIE in the first round of the Gravells Welsh Open today.
Wilkie, the 2008 International Open runner-up, is another excellent bowler from the Antipodes and at even money with bet365 he should be backed to blunt 'Razor' at Swansea.
Gillett is ranked 13 in the world, but has dropped down to 19th in the provisional list after failing to win a match since the 2009 World Indoor Singles and defeat here will see his longer-than-expected tenure at the top table come to an and. And with the likes of Darren Burnett, Nick Brett, Stewart Anderson, Steve Glasson, Robert Paxton and Wilkie now all on the scene and doing well, then he may never get back in to the elite ranks of the game. Shame.
At Potters earlier this month, Wilkie was unlucky when bowing out at the third round stage to Jason Greenslade and he has enough about him to see a man desperately out of form and one who was blitzed by Burnett at the same event.
New world champion Greg Harlow should have a routine victory over Israel's Zvikar Hadar, but is unbackable at 1-7, as is Ian Bond who is 1-5 to beat 71-year-old Hong Kong bowler Osman Adem. Both should win easily, but you're not going to get very rich if you take the plunge. But then again maybe a watching brief is advised as David Gourlay was a red-hot favourite to beat Bobby Donnelly this morning, but somehow lost after winning the first 9-0 and leading 4-0 in the second, Incredible
That just leaves PAUL FOSTER, winner of this event in 2007 and semi-finalist last year who is 1-4 to see off fellow Scot Gary Hutchison. His young opponent was crushed in the second round at Potters by David Gourlay and Foster will be just too good and much better punt is the 2-5 for 'Fozzie' to win the first set.
