World Indoor Bowls Championships returns to Norfolk

Stone reached the second round of the World Singles Championship in 2009

The world's top bowlers are returning to Norfolk to compete in the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

It is the 12th year that the three-week event has been played at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea.

More than 70 players from countries including South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia and New Zealand will be taking part in tournament.

Three players from Norfolk will be playing; former world champion Mervyn King, Tim Stone and Jamie Chestney.

Tim Stone, from Acle bowls club, has qualified for all three World Bowls Tour events this year as he tries to climb up the world rankings.

Last year, Stone got to the second round of the competition and he was beaten on the last bowl of the match by Norfolk rival Mervyn King.

Stone told BBC Radio Norfolk: "I was glad I had a game before I played Mervyn otherwise I would have been completely lost.

Stone faces Graham Smith in the first round in 2010

"It was a cracking game of bowls. At one end, there were my supporters cheering me on and at the other end there were Mervyn's supporters. The atmosphere was amazing."

Stone's first match this year is against Spalding's Graham Smith on Wednesday 6 January.

If he wins, he will play five-time world champion Alex Marshall in the second round.

"To be part of the world championships is fantastic and to be on the same rink as Alex would be just brilliant and who knows what could happen from there."

Mervyn King is ranked number eight in the world and is in good form ahead of the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

King won the World Matchplay in Sheffield earlier this year and reached the semi-finals of the Scottish International in November.

He is the defending World Open Pairs champion with his partner Kelvin Kerkow and is also competing in the Mixed Pairs Matchplay and the World Singles Championship.

Mervyn King's first match is in the Pairs competition where he and Kerkow take on Scots Andrew Barker and Michael Stepney on Tuesday 5 January.

Jamie Chestney from Fakenham is the other Norfolk player in action in Hopton-on Sea.

He plays in the pairs with Lincolnshire's Graham Smith against experienced Welshmen Jason Greenslade and Robert Weale on Thursday 7 January.