Merrien bidding for two British Isles titles
GUERNSEY'S Alison Merrien will bid for two of the most prestigious titles in her sport today when she lines up in the finals of both singles and fours at the British Isles Women's Indoor Championships in South Shields.
GUERNSEY'S Alison Merrien will bid for two of the most prestigious titles in her sport today when she lines up in the finals of both singles and fours at the British Isles Women's Indoor Championships in South Shields. Merrien first won through in the 'blue riband' singles before later linking up with Anna Brehaut, Carol Ingrouille and Angela Bartie in the fours.
In her singles semi-final, Merrien, who won this title in 2002 and is the only Channel Islander ever to win the event, defeated teenager Angaharad Jones of Wales 21-19 in a thrilling encounter.
The Channel Island star must have been delighted the action was indoors as the incessant rain on Tyneside contrasted sharply with the heat of Melbourne.
Merrien enjoyed the better of the early stages and led 8-5 after eight ends before Jones edged 11-8 in front after 12 ends.
However Merrien counted two shots and then three to take a 13-11 lead but it remained anyone's game and with 25 ends played she and Jones were locked together at 19-19 before the Guernsey hope scored the two shots needed for victory and a place in the final.
Her opponent this afternoon will be the winner of this morning's semi-final between England's high profile 'bowls babe' Carol Ashby and Ireland's Muriel Wilkinson.
In the fours semi-final last night, Merrien, Brehaut, Ingrouille and Bartie were facing the Welsh rink of Ann Dainton, Barbara Stanton, Val Morgan and Bethan Horgan and at 14-8 behind after 16 of the 21 ends looked down and out.
Just when a Wales victory looked on the cards, the Guernsey girls produced a power packed finish scoring 10 shots over the next four ends, ending with a count of five on the penultimate end, to take command and eventually triumph by 18-15.
They now face either Scotland or England in the final this afternoon.
'I am obviously delighted to be in two major finals as I have never achieved that before,' said Merrien.
'We played well in the fours and after the disappointment of missing out on a medal in Melbourne I was pleased to get through in the singles.
'To be honest I haven't quite recovered from the Commonwealth Games yet and my sleep pattern is all over the place.
'However, we will be giving it our best shot in both finals and look forward to the challenges the matches will bring.'
In the triples, Lianna Bichard, Mavis Richards and Gwen de la Mare lost out to Scotland's Cathy Houston, Anne Marie Fletcher and Ina Morton in the semi-finals after earlier seeing off the challenge of Ireland.
In the prelim. Bichard, Richards and de la Mare had trailed 17-11 after 15 ends to the Irish triple of Mary Donnelly, Christine Young and Judy Murphy before finishing strongly to count nine shots over the closing three ends to win 20-17.
But in the evening they were beaten 19-12 by the Scots.
