Merrien back on the world stage in new year

ALISON MERRIEN is set to return to the World Indoor Bowls Championship stage early in the new year.

Published Nov 30, 2021

After a two-year hiatus, Alison Merrien is due to return to the World Indoor Bowls Championships in January. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 30249610)

Two years after her last major international outing, the Guernsey great is due to revisit the WIBC’s annual home of Potters Resort to contest both the mixed pairs (from 14 January) and women’s singles (from 15 January).

She is a previous winner in both, albeit back in 2011.

Having lost out in a close mixed pairs final in 2020, she partners Scottish star Paul Foster for her quarter-final of the upcoming championship, where they face Scotland’s Carla Banks and England’s Les Gillett.

Foster is quite the force in international bowls – beyond boasting an enviable total of 12 WIBC titles, he is also a four-time Commonwealth Games champion and former world No. 1.

In the singles, Merrien has a hard clash lined up against the reigning champion, Wales’ Laura Daniels, for her quarter-final.

Merrien reached the semi-finals of the 2020 singles but lost to eventual champion Julie Forrest of Scotland.