Bee Gees at the bowls as Scotland para mixed pairs retain Commonwealth gold

When the marker needed to borrow a dime from a nearby photographer because he had forgotten a coin, it set the tone for an afternoon full of dramatic twists. Scotland's Robert Barr and Mary Aitken were defending their Commonwealth Games gold in para mixed pairs bowls against England, and from the first end to the last, the crowd in Glasgow was on the edge of their seats.

The match went right down to the final bowl. After winning a coin toss, Scotland chose to take the last bowl rather than go first and claim the jack. England's Ron Homer — at 76 years old, the country's oldest athlete at these Games — drew an incredible shot to within inches of the jack, putting massive pressure on Barr. Visually-impaired players often use telescopes to check their shots, but Barr didn't need one. He batted Homer's bowl away with his first throw, then watched his second and third bowls roll perfectly into place. Gold secured. The Scottish team piled into a huddle while the crowd roared and waved blue-and-white Scottish flags.

The match started at 8:30 in the morning, which is an unusual time for a final, but it didn't stop hundreds of fans from packing the venue. Scotland had been dominant throughout the tournament, winning their group stage and cruising through the semifinal, so the home crowd expected a win — but maybe not one this nail-biting.

Coach Karen Ewing said she "could greet" with pride watching her players perform under so much pressure. "I'm really delighted for Mary and Robert," she said. "They've played fantastic all week and they've kept really calm under a lot of stress and a lot of expectation. They've been absolutely fantastic."

The victory did more than just add another medal to Scotland's tally. It also helped shift the image of bowls from being seen as a sport only for older people. One first-time viewer of the sport who was covering the event for Team England said she felt more patriotic watching this than the football World Cup. She planned to stay for the rest of the day's matches. A win for Scotland, and a win for the sport itself.