Moss proud to make last eight
Shropshire's Champion of Champions hopefuls left Blackpool with widely differing emotions. Andy Moss, having grabbed a last gasp place by becoming the county's first winner of the Autumn Waterloo in midweek, was proud of reaching the quarter-finals on Saturday.
But Shropshire Star Merit winner Peter Farmer, having seen off British junior star Wayne Ditchfield in his opener, was disappointed to bow out in the second round for the second year running.
The field of 32 champions drew a big crowd to the Waterloo cauldron, and Chester Road hero Moss beat Tony Barrass 21-17 and swept aside Yorkshire stalwart Bob Hitchin 21-11 before bowing out to North Lancs & Fylde legend Mike Leach 21-19 - after leading 17-11.
"I was disappointed afterwards because I felt I should have won. But Mike Leach bowled well at the end," said Woore-based Moss.
"But I had a fantastic few days in Blackpool really - and it was just great to be mixing it with the best.
"It couldn't have gone much better because I couldn't have played on Saturday without winning on the Wednesday before."
It was the 30 metre mark over the crown that brought success in the Autumn Waterloo that Moss used to go from 7-7 against Barrass to 16-10 up.
Barrass fought his way back to tie the game at 17 across before Moss, with two twos, finished him off.
Even the accurate striking power of Hitchen proved ineffective against Moss's more accurate close bowling on his favourite mark as the Shropshire man went 8-2 up.
And although Hitchin did rally to only trail 12-9, Moss only allowed him just two more singles before ending a convincing 21-11 winner.
The quarter-final against Leach started as a carbon copy of his previous tie as the rampant Moss led 10-4, 14-5 and then 17-11.
Veteran Leach battled back with some excellent resting out, running bowls and striking to slowly put pressure on Moss.
Moss got to 19-16 up though, and was counting two for game when Leach unleashed his heartbreaker bowl - which pushed out both Moss's bowls.
The next end saw Moss strike, but he only managed to take out his own bowl and gift Leach two and take him into the lead for the first time in the tie at 20-19.
After Leach's poor lead was not punished, his second toppled over to rest within three inches in front of the jack - and Moss could not beat it as Leach marched into the semi-finals 21-19. Moss's consolation was £125.
Leach then got the better of Jim Derby 21-19 and Andrew Spragg edged out Tommy Johnston 21-20 in the game of the day.
The final didn't turn out to be the expected cracker, but it was Spragg who completed a stunning All England and Champion of Champions double by beating an exhausted Leach 21-7 to pocket £1,000.
St Georges star Farmer looked good in round one as he saw off Ditchfield - conqueror of Michael Beer in the British Junior Merit final - 21-15, pulling away from14-14.
But in his second game, Farmer looked all out of sorts, having really lost his weight. He was too short or too long too often as Derbyshire Merit winner Steve Adams forced his way into a 11-3 lead.
Farmer scraped his way back into the tie at just 14-9 down, but he never looked like producing the form that has made him No 1 in Shropshire for the last two years - and lost 21-13.
Pictured are Andy Moss, left, and Peter Farmer. Picture courtesy of Mike Potter.
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