Alison's 'Oscar'

ALI MERRIEN'S dream of another WBT world indoor singles title lives on, but she has narrowly missed out on a mixed pairs crown.

On a busy weekend for the Sarnian star at Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk, she reached the semi-finals of the singles and mixed pairs championships.

But Merrien looked gutted when she left the rink yesterday, after she and Norfolk's own Mervyn King lost a remarkable mixed pairs semi final to Aussie Karen Murphy and Scotland's Darren Burnett, on the very last bowl of the third end of a tense tiebreak.

Given no time to collect her thoughts, she was called back on to the rink to receive her 'Bowls Oscar' – a handsome crystal trophy – after being installed in the World Bowls Tour Hall of Fame at last week's ceremony, which she was unable to attend.