http://www.bowlsinternational.com November 2017 BOWLS INTERNATIONAL 41H
arlow, 49, enjoyed a
memorable 2016/17 WBT
campaign, beating Paul Foster
on a nail-biting last end of
the final to claim the title in Perth, before
reaching the final of the World Indoor
Singles, where the Scottish legend gained
his revenge, while the City of Ely star
also progressed to the quarter final of the
International Open in Blackpool.
Those achievements propelled him into
first spot in the world rankings on 175
points, just six ahead of former clubmate
and two-time Scottish winner Nick
Brett, who has a mouth-watering clash
to look forward to against a certain lady
competitor from Guernsey.
Alison Merrien MBE is well known
in the bowling world for her exploits
in the women's game – she has tasted
success in the Ladies World Matchplay,
World Mixed Pairs, World Indoor Bowls
Council Championships, British Isles
Championships, you name it she has won
virtually everything there is to win, while
the only major thing missing from her
CV is Commonwealth Games success.
But this will be the first time she has
competed in an open WBT event, and she
is relishing the opportunity to play former
mixed pairs partner Brett, with whom she
won the title six years ago, after coming
through a tough Lincoln qualifying event.
She beat former world top-16 player
Simon Skelton in the first round, and then
saw off Brian Hawkins, Andrew Ware
and Ian Honnor, before blitzing Ipswich’s
Phillip Last in the final, 8-3 9-1.
“I was quite pleased with that,” laughed
the 43-year-old civil servant. “I wasn’t
sure how I was going to get through the
day as I had an operation on my elbow
last November and it was my first real
event back. I have played at home in
some friendly stuff, but that was my
first big tournament. I went into it open
minded, just to see how I would get on
and I ended up playing really well.”
On her date with Brett on Guy Fawkes
night, Merrien went on: “The top-16 are
all hard and it didn’t matter who I was
going to be playing as it was the fact I
had got there, and we’ll see how I get on
back on that portable rink again.
“I played with Nick at Potters, but have
never played against him before and
it has the potential to be a really good
match. I’ve got to be at my best to beat
him. The pressure will be firmly on both
of us, I think.
"From Nicky’s viewpoint, there’s
always pressure when you’re playing
a qualifier, be it a man or a lady, and I
think he will have just as much respect
for me as I have for him.
“Playing on the portable rink and with a
time clock obviously won’t faze me, but
I understand playing up at Perth is totallydifferent to Potters – it’s said to be cold at
one end and warm the other, so that could
change things.”
Merrien is hoping to return to Potters
in the Ladies World Matchplay, a
tournament she last won in 2011 after
finishing runner-up the previous two
years.
She concluded: “I will be going to
Bromley for qualifying in November
as unfortunately I dropped out of the
European rankings as I didn’t play last
year. I am starting from scratch again.
Another world title would be nice.”
World champion Foster tackles
Blackpool’s Chris Gale, who was handed
a late place after Kiwi Stephen Zino
dropped out, while Alex Marshall faces
a tough opponent in David Bolt, who
beat around 60 other players to a spot in
the Carlisle qualifying event. Tour card
winners Perry Martin and Danny Denison
line up against Jonathan Ross and Jason
Greenslade respectively.
Devon’s Jamie Chestney came of age
last season on the WBT circuit, reaching
the quarter final of the World Indoor
Singles, before notching his first success
at the International Open, 12 months after
losing to David Gourlay in the final.
With a successful outdoor campaign in
the summer and regular appearances for
England indoors, the 30-year-old world
number eight will this time head into the
tournament as one of the favourites.
“It certainly gives me a bit of
confidence when I get to the latter stages,
knowing I can win an event playing with
these guys,” said Chestney of last year’s
victory in Blackpool.
“Getting that far is a difficult thing to
do and if I put myself in that position
again then I know I can go all the way.
I’m now in the top eight, which helps to
get you in the extra events at Potters as
well, which I am looking forward to.
“I had a pretty decent season outdoors,
although I was disappointed to lose in
the National Triples final, but our club –
Kings BC – won the Double Fours and
the Top Club for the second year in a
row, achieving the double double, which
was great. I know the World Bowls Tour
is obviously singles, but there is very
little that beats playing with your mates
and winning.”
Chestney faces Israeli qualifier Daniel
Alonim, a gold medalist in the fours
at Maccabiah 2017 – a worldwide
international multi-sports event for Jews
and Israelis – earlier this summer, but
says he knows very little about him.
He added: “You’ve got to go in with
a good attitude. I don’t know much
about my opponent, but if I can put a
lot of close bowls in and put him under
pressure, then that’s all I can aim to do
and the result will take care of itself.”MEMORABLE YEAR
Dolphin qualifier Damian Doubler has
also enjoyed a memorable year, which
started off with him and partner Daniel
Salmon almost claiming a shock World
Pairs success at Potters. They enjoyed a
fairytale run to the final, where they were
edged out by the last delivery on the final
end by Jason Greenslade and Les Gillett.
The 28-year-old helped Wales to the
British Isles Triples crown in March,
while he also reached the final of both
the singles and mixed pairs at the WIBC
World Championships.
He also played outdoors for the first
time in eight years and reached the
National Fours final, plus he earned
his first senior international cap against
Ireland.
Doubler beat Scott Edwards in the final
at Dolphin to make it through to his third
Scottish International Open – and sixth
WBT singles event overall – where he
will face veteran Scot David Gourlay
again in the first round.
“I actually played David in my debut
appearance at the Scottish Open (in
2012), where I narrowly lost on a tie-
break,” said Doubler, a civil servant from
Cardiff. “He is a high-class player shown
by his numerous successes on the tour so
it is not an easy draw.“I have played Greg Harlow twice,
Nick Brett and Andy Thomson in my
other appearances so unfortunately I
haven't had a favourable draw as of yet
as they were all top ten players at the
time of play. I believe if I can produce
near to my best performance, though,
then I will be in with a chance of victory,
especially if you have a little fortune to
go alongside it.”
Doubler’s undoubted talents haven’t
as yet yielded a single victory in his five
previous WBT singles appearances, but
he is hoping to rectify that situation in
Perth.
“After losing four out of my five games
at WBT events on tie-breaks, it shows I
am extremely close to getting over the
line and maybe progressing deep into
one of these events. I am a great
believer that in tie-breaks you do >>>“You’ve got to go in with a good
attitude.
I don’t know much about my
opponent, but if I can put a lot of
close bowls in and put him under
pressure, then that’s all I can aim
to do and the result will take care
of itself.”
Left:
Greg Harlow
will be looking
for his third
successive
Scottish
International
title40-42_BI_PBA_Nov17_cc.indd 41 12/10/2017 14:35