Beere puts out Merrien

LUCY BEERE won the battle of the giants when she took on Alison Merrien in the de Putron women's singles, otherwise known as the island championship.

Beere (pictured), the 2008 champion who later this month goes to Ayr in Scotland to compete in the World Singles Champion of Champions by way of winning the title last year, couldn't have drawn a tougher opponent in the preliminary round of this year's local championship, but she met the challenge brilliantly and beat her opponent in 18 ends played on her home green at the Corbet Field.

A former English international under-25 player, Beere went 1-5 down in the opening three ends but settled down to win the next three ends to lead 7-5.

It was all square at 7-7 after eight but a superb winning sequence on the following six ends of a 2-3-2-1-1-3 put the Vale Rec member 19-7 up and well on the road to the eventual 21-13 victory and a great confidence boost for her launch onto the world stage in Ayr.

In the other preliminary round match Angela Bartie came out the winner in a very close encounter with fellow Northerner Doreen Batiste.