The Palace Bingo Men's Pairs contenders were reduced to four in yesterday's Great Yarmouth Bowls Festival action. Norfolk Bowling Club's Brian Holcroft and Charlie Boon play Acle's Simon Elliott and Darren Rowsell in one of today's semi-finals while title holders Roger Denny and Alfie Chambers (Suffolk) face Bradenham's Michael and John Tuffs.

The Palace Bingo Men's Pairs contenders were reduced to four in yesterday's Great Yarmouth Bowls Festival action.

Norfolk Bowling Club's Brian Holcroft and Charlie Boon play Acle's Simon Elliott and Darren Rowsell in one of today's semi-finals while title holders Roger Denny and Alfie Chambers (Suffolk) face Bradenham's Michael and John Tuffs.

The champions were in fine form as they overpowered Felthorpe's M Tortice and B Thrower 22-11 before beating Geoff Stokes and Alex Manson 26-10 - despite dropping a six.

The Tuffs - a father and son pairing - beat Acle's Kenny Copeman and Bill Downie 20-14 to set up a match against Freethorpe's Michael Harris and John Cater which produced an incredible finish.

After 13 ends the scores were level when a four and a three put the Tuffs 21-14 in front. The Freethorpe men then scored eleven on the next five ends to go into the last end 25-21 ahead - only to drop a five to give the Tuffs a 26-25 victory.

Harris and Cater had been on the right side of a nail-biter in the previous round, beating Sculthorpe's T and M Wilkinson 23-22.

By contrast the Tuffs' quarter-final against RG Carter's Roy Nichols and John Hunter was worry free as they won 25-3.

Nichols and Hunter had previously needed an extra end to beat Reepham's Mark Lane and Alan Ingram 17-14.

Holcroft and Boon (NBC) sneaked home 19-17 against Arthur Lowbridge and Bob Allan (Northgate and St Lawrence).

Against Reepham's David Hindry and Steve Bonner they won 24-10 to earn a quarter-final against Paul Shackcloth and Jason Roope (Hunstanton and North Walsham). A flying start saw the NBC men 12-6 up after 11 ends before Shackcloth and Roope fought back to trail only 19-18 going into the last end - which Holcroft and Boon took to win 20-18.

The strongly fancied Elliott and Rowsell cruised through 18-7 over Yarmouth's Ken Dunn and Tony Seabourne before beating Ormesby's Alan Bateson and Paul Clutterbuck 26-10 with the help of three fours. Their quarter-final win over NBC's Richard Harvey and Gary Oakley was an equally straight-forward 23-16.