Bowler Stone wins match hours after becoming a father

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

Norfolk's Tim Stone had a race against time to play his first round match at the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

His wife, Rebecca, gave birth to their first child just three and a half hours before the match was due to begin.

Organisers delayed the start of the game against Lincolnshire's Graham Smith while Stone travelled from Norwich to Hopton-on-Sea.

But Stone then thrilled the Norfolk crowd by winning the match after a tie-break, 4-8, 11-8, 2-1.

Baby Harry, who was due a day before the World Singles Final, arrived two weeks early, weighing in at 8lbs.

After hastily making the journey from the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital, new dad Stone received a bouquet of flowers when he arrived at Potters Leisure Resort.

When the first round match got underway, Stone then wilted, losing the first set. But he blossomed again, coming back to take the second set 11-8.

The 31-year-old from Norwich then held his nerve to win the tie-break and set up a second round match against five-time world champion Alex Marshall next Thursday (14 January).