NOEL Burrows completed an amazing weekend of bowls competition at the Blackpool Borough Indoor Bowls Centre in qualifying for the last eight of the Professional Bowlers Association World Indoor Singles English Qualifier.

There were two qualifier from the Blackpool heats, which kept the crowds enthralled all weekend with bowls of the very highest standard.

Noel, who won the Granada TV Superbowl competition back in 1985 to establish his reputation as a top flight indoor flat green exponent, played two matches in the crown green Champion of Champions tournament on the Waterloo on Saturday morning before dashing over to the Blackpool Indoor Centre to contest the World Indoor Singles Qualifier.

His first opponent was Durham's Eddie Henry who qualified last year from the Boro in the International Open Qualifier, however Noel was quickly into his stride, winning through 7-4, 7-6, 5-7, 7-5.

In the semi-finals Noel was in awesome form, restricting his English U25 International opponent Sam Winter from Yorkshire to only one scoring end in his 7-0, 7-3, 7-0 annihilation. Noel's final match was against surprise qualifier Gary Fountain from Worcester and despite trailing 6-3 in the second set Noel finished off the match 7-1, 7-6, 7-0.

The other qualifier from the weekend was Edric Vorsterman who surprised outright favourite Lincolnshire International Simon Skelton in his final match with the quality of his draws, which seemed to nestle next to the jack with relentless monotony, running out a deserved 7-5, 2-7, 7-3, 7-4 winner.

Skelton who was runner-up in the English National Singles last year, which would have earned him an automatic place in the World Singles, must be bitterly disappointed to miss out once again.

Noel and Edric will now play in the last eight play-offs at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire on Sunday November 7 with one player to emerge as sole English Qualifier in the World Singles at Potters Norfolk next January.

Last year Noel was just two games away from qualification in the semi-finals of the English qualifier played at Rushcliffe IBC Nottingham, but came a cropper against his Blackpool team-mate and Boro manager David Holt who went on to the semi-finals of the World Indoor Championships last February.

However, Noel would not have that problem this year with David having risen to the 20th position on the world rankings list and given an automatic place in the final 32.

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