Marshall favoured in championship

Marshall celebrated a fifth world title at Potters in 2008

World indoor bowls champion Alex Marshall begins the defence of his title at the Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea on Monday.

Marshall, who is bidding for a sixth singles title, will face fierce competition for the trophy.

Tournament director Ken Fawcett told BBC Radio Norfolk: "All the players have to beat him, but there are those here with the confidence to do that.

"We've got a stack of ex-world champions here to win."

Playing in front of a local crowd does add a bit of extra pressure, but hopefully I can come up with the goods

Acle qualifier Tim Stone

Fawcett believes that the World Bowls tour has such strength in depth that a winner could be found in the lesser-known names who have reached the finals through the qualifying rounds.

"Equally the strength of the qualifiers coming through now, they're doing superbly well," he said.

"Only a month or so ago at Burgess Hill for the International Open we had qualifiers doing extremely well and one of them, Darren Burnett, won it."

One such qualifier is Tim Stone, a club player from Acle, just 14 miles away from the World Championships' venue on the Norfolk coast.

Mervyn King won the title in 2006 and is seeded seventh.

Stone faces a first-round match with Australian Andrew Howie. If he wins that, he will come up against Norfolk team-mate, and former world champion, Mervyn King.

"It would be really good, I think there'd be virtually a sell out crowd down there, I'd love to play Mervyn on the portable rink," said Stone.

"I've played him in various national and county competitions, but to play him in the World Championships is virtually a dream."

The World Championships are played on a portable rink which travels with the World Bowls tour across the country.

Stone says playing on it, in front of the glare of TV cameras and lights, is a special experience.

"Two years ago I got through in the Welsh Open and played Kelvin [Kerkow], that was on BBC Wales, and it kind of took a little bit of the pressure off," he said.

"Playing in front of a local crowd does add a bit of extra pressure, but hopefully I can come up with the goods."

First round matches begin on Monday, 5 January 2009, with the final taking place on Sunday, 25 January.

Televised coverage on BBC 2, and via the red button, begins in the third round on Wednesday, 21 January.