Merrien edged out in final showdown

GUERNSEY'S Alison Merrien played her part in a classic World Cup final this morning at the Warilla club in New South Wales, but cruelly missed out on winning yet another world title when she lost to New Zealand's Jo Edwards, 9-4, 7-7.

In January, the magnificent Merrien added the 2011 World Bowls Tour women's singles title to the World Indoor Bowls Council women's singles title she won in 2009, and the World Bowls Limited World Champion of Champions title she annexed in 2007.

But after the World Cup proved to be a bridge too far, an emotional Merrien said: 'What a game that was - it was close all the way through and I felt I deserved to take Jo into a tiebreak.'

Edwards, a Liverpool-born Kiwi, who won the title for the third year running, enjoyed the rub of the green in the first set, but Merrien had a chance of winning the second with her final delivery, when she fired for two enemy bowls, but managed to remove only one.