WORLD BOWLS TOUR NEWS

Champion King After More Scottish Open Success

After constantly improving, or at least maintaining, his previous year’s success in the annual World Bowls Tour championship in Scotland since his debut in 2004, defending champion Mervyn King is sure to win the 2011 The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish International Open in Perth next week.

The first WBT ranking event of the new 2011/12 season, The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish International Open will get underway at Dewars Centre in Perth this Saturday (5 November) and reaches its final the following Saturday.

The established WBT event features all but one of the top 16 indoor bowlers in the world, joined by qualifiers from the UK, Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, Hong Kong and Israel.  There will be live coverage of the championship on BBC TV Scotland from Monday (7 November).

Englishman King, the world No5 from Norfolk, won the 2010 championship from the position of eighth seed – making his breakthrough in the second round where he beat title-holder and world No1 Paul Foster.

A first round loser in 2004, King reached round two in his next appearances north of the border in 2006 and 2007 – then in 2008 made the quarters, followed by a semi-final appearance in 2009.

The 45-year-old former world champion takes on Scottish qualifier Mark Radigan in the opening round - and in the next round is seeded to meet Welshman Stewart Anderson in a repeat of last year’s final.

Anderson, who has rocketed to 12 in the WBT world rankings in just two seasons, played last year under the Scottish flag – but now lives and competes in Wales.  Anderson too has always bettered himself in the event – making the semis as a qualifier in his debut in 2009 before reaching last year’s final unseeded!

Paul Foster leads Scottish interest in the event – and is seeded to meet King in the final.  The 38-year-old from Troon in Ayrshire clinched his fourth world indoor title in Norfolk at the beginning of the year – and will be keen to win back the Scottish trophy for his country.

World No1 Foster, who has competed in every event since 2001, begins his 2011 campaign against English qualifier Lee Rowland.

And former champion Darren Burnett will also be enjoying home support as he bids to win the title a second time after success in 2001.  The Dundee policeman, who boasts a career-high world No3 ranking, faces English qualifier Tim Stone in the first round.

Distinguished Scottish bowlers Alex Marshall and David Gourlay will also be in action in Perth.  Marshall, winner of a record five world titles, will be looking to make up for disappointing WBT runs on home soil in recent years – and lines up against English wild card Les Gillett, a former world No12, in the opening round.

Gourlay won the title in 2002 and reached the final twice thereafter.  The 45-year-old from Glasgow takes on South African qualifier Barry Maitland-Stuart.

1st round draw:

[1] Mervyn King (ENG) v [Q] Mark Radigan (SCO)

[12] Stewart Anderson (WAL) v [TC] Wayne Hogg (SCO)

[15] Nick Brett (ENG) v [Q] Lee Schraner (AUS)  

[5] Mark Royal (ENG) v [WC] Ian Bond (ENG)     

[6] Simon Skelton (ENG) v [Q] Peter LS Wong (CAN)     

[16] John Price (WAL) v [Q] Martin Leung (HKG)  

Robert Chisholm (WAL) v [Q] Robert Paxton (ENG)        

[4] Darren Burnett (SCO) v [Q] Tim Stone (ENG) 

[3] Greg Harlow (ENG) v [Q] David Kontente (ISR)        

[13] Jason Greenslade (WAL) v [TC] Brett Arkley (ENG) 

[10] Andy Thomson (ENG) v [Q] Glenn Pauling (AUS)     

[8] David Gourlay (SCO) v [Q] Barry Maitland-Stuart (RSA)      

[7] Alex Marshall, MBE (SCO) v [WC] Les Gillett (ENG)    

[11] Robert Weale (WAL) v [Q] Neil Furman (USA)        

[14] Billy Jackson (ENG) v [Q] Andrew Ware (ENG)        

[2] Paul Foster (SCO) v [Q] Lee Rowland (ENG)   

Official website: www.worldbowlstour.com  

Watch all of the action live - and re-live the excitement of all matches as replays and downloads - on the WBT site

Thanks to Howard Harding