By David Taylor

Last updated at 12:50, Thursday, 01 October 2009

Spectators at Cumbria Indoor Bowls club in Carlisle were treated to a feast of bowling at the weekend when the singles and pairs qualifiers for the World Championships took place.

The Carlisle club was well represented, which obviously added to the interest and at the end of some fine games, there was also a local success to celebrate.

Stuart Airy is on the crest of a wave at present following his selection for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi and he showed at the weekend why the international selectors have placed their faith in the Cumbria man.

Stuart began with a fairly comfortable success against Cumbria's lady international Janice Gower, seeing off her spirited challenge in straight sets 7-4, 8-3 and followed up with a rather closer 1.5-0.5 win over leading Scottish lady Julie Forrest.

Julie’s reluctance to play a strong bowl late in the game probably cost her a winning chance.

Airey then looked to be in trouble when losing the first set of his next game against Stephen Roberts 7-1 but he struck back in the next winning that one 6-4 before taking the tie break 2-1.

In the semi-final he was not quite so impressive, for after winning the first set 9-0 against Lancashire's Alan Faulds he was all out to share the spoils 4-4 in the second set and go through.

The final was played at 9am on Sunday and despite the timing there was still a good crowd to watch.

Airey was perhaps a shade flattered by the first set scoreline of 9-0 against Ian McIntosh and the second set was much closer, with McIntosh at one point holding a 5-1 lead.

Airey, however, showed his class in pulling back to 4-5 with one to play and crowned an excellent weekend by drawing a front toucher with his final delivery to share the set and take his place in the World Singles Championship, which will take place at Potters in January next year.

Apart from Airey's exploits, there were a number of good performances by Cumbria bowlers.

Neil Karge reached the semi-final having beaten Lancashire's Jason Parkinson and club-mate Kevin Harrison in the previous rounds.

In the semi-final he took the first set and looked to be on course for a win when holding a healthy lead in the second.

In that set, however, he played a little cautiously and allowed McIntosh the chance of a full house which he took with a perfectly-delivered bowl and went on to snatch the set and a 2-1 win in the tie-break.

Ian Gallagher looked to be in the form of his life when beating Martin Gale on rink seven producing a stream of excellent bowls to win 7-1, 8-1 but failed to reproduce that form next time and was beaten 7-5, 4-6, 0-2 by Alan Faulds next time.

Faulds had also accounted for Craig Docherty in the previous round 9-5, 9-2, after Docherty had beaten club mate Mark Nanson 6-6, 4-3 in his previous game.

There was a strange end to this game for after some fine bowling, the winning shot here came on an umpires measure which showed Docherty in by no more than a quarter inch with both bowls at least twelve feet away.

Cumbria's Kevin Harrison had been involved in a first for the Carlisle Club when two players with the newly-produced white bowls met each other. Kevin came out on top so that was all “white”.

In the pairs qualifier on Sunday, it looked as though the home supporters would be celebrating once more as four of the quarter finalists were home players.

Ian Gallagher and Trevor Taylor had a straight sets win over Ian McIntosh. Janice Gower, who partnered Alison Merrien, beat Neil Karge and Mark Nanson. Stuart Airey and Craig Docherty were beaten on the tie-break by Brett Arkley.

That was the end of the road for the Cumbrians, however, as Mark Dawes and Robert Chisholm beat Gallagher and Taylor 5-4, 3-10, 2-1 and Gower went down to Arkley 7-5, 7-3, Dawes and Chisholm going on to win the final.

Cup Winners Challenge

Cumbria Indoor Bowls Club hosts a challenge match on Sunday between the top club sides in England and Scotland.

The Carlisle club took the Denny Cup when beating Lincoln in the final at Bedford last season, while Tweedbank won the Scottish equivalent.

The game starts at noon and the majority of Cumbria's successful side at Bedford are expected to turn out for this game.

First published at 11:34, Thursday, 01 October 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk