World Pairs Championship Final:[7] Ian Bond & Andy Thomson (ENG) bt [5] Billy Jackson (ENG) & David Gourlay (SCO) 4-9, 8-5, 2-1World Singles Championship, 1st round:[Q] Gary Hutchison (SCO) bt [Q] Ruthy Gilor (ISR) 12-2, 11-3[Q] Ben Twist (AUS) bt [Q] Geoff Wilson (NZL) 4-7, 6-5, 2-0IT took former world champion Andy Thomson to deliver "the greatest bowl I've ever played" to clinch a dramatic victory over twice champions Billy Jackson & David Gourlay in today's (Sunday) final of the Potters Holidays World Pairs Championship.

World Pairs Championship Final:

[7] Ian Bond & Andy Thomson (ENG)

bt [5] Billy Jackson (ENG) & David Gourlay (SCO) 4-9, 8-5, 2-1

World Singles Championship, 1st round:

[Q] Gary Hutchison (SCO) bt [Q] Ruthy Gilor (ISR) 12-2, 11-3

[Q] Ben Twist (AUS) bt [Q] Geoff Wilson (NZL) 4-7, 6-5, 2-0

IT took former world champion Andy Thomson to deliver "the greatest bowl I've ever played" to clinch a dramatic victory over twice champions Billy Jackson & David Gourlay in today's (Sunday) final of the Potters Holidays World Pairs Championship.

Winners of the World Bowls Tour title at Potters Leisure Resort two years ago, Englishmen Thomson and long-time partner Ian Bond were behind until the final stages of the second set when Thomson steered the pair into a best-of-three ends tie-break after winning the set by three shots.

After taking the first end and leading in the second, Londoner Thomson and 'Devon Destroyer' Bond watched in shock as Scot David Gourlay, a long-time former world number one, delivered a stunning bowl to force the tie-break into a third end decider.

But, after the Scot again played a near impossible shot to save the end, Thomson lined up to deliver his last bowl - and powered the jack and his own bowl into the ditch to make it almost impossible for Gourlay to respond.

"David would have had to draw his last bowl to leave it hanging over the ditch to win," admitted the exuberant new champions after their unlikely 4-9, 8-5, 2-1 victory.

"That was surely the greatest bowl I've ever played - it was without doubt the most important," said 54-year-old Thomson.

Bond added: "David (Gourlay) produced unbelievable bowls throughout the game - and even with his final delivery almost drew the shot."

Gourlay admitted that he has never felt so disappointed after a final: "I really don't know where we went wrong," said the dejected 43-year-old from Glasgow. "That's the hardest way to lose - against a toucher in the ditch."

Billy Jackson, the reigning World Singles champion from Lincoln who was bidding to become the first player at Potters to win both the world singles and pairs titles simultaneously - and who finished as runner-up in last year's Pairs final - was devastated by the defeat: "Last year it was disappointing to lose - but this year it hurts."

The two singles matches earlier in the day produced contrasting encounters. A one-sided clash saw Scotsman Gary Hutchison crush Israeli qualifier Ruthy Gilor - one of two women to earn places in this year's world championship - 12-2, 11-3.

Later, Australian qualifier Ben Twist, a 19-year-old university student from Brisbane, recovered from 4-7 and 4-5 down to beat experienced New Zealander Geoff Wilson, 58, from Dunedin, 4-7, 6-5, 2-0.

Monday (11 January) schedule:

World Singles Championship, 1st round:

10.00am

[Q] Stephen Chan (HKG) v [Q] Michael Bowley (ENG)

2.00pm

[Q] Geoff Maskell (AUS) v [Q] Robert Paxton (ENG)

[Q] Fred Fong (CAN) v [Q] Stewart Anderson (SCO)

7.30pm

2nd round

[16] Jonathan Ross (IRE) v [Q] Willie Wood, MBE (SCO)

Tuesday (12 January) schedule:

World Singles Championship, 2nd round:

9.30am

[7] Jason Greenslade (WAL) v Brett Wilkie (AUS)

[12] Ian Bond (ENG) v [Q] Ben Twist (AUS)

2.00pm

[3] Mark Royal (ENG) v [Q] Jarrad Breen (WAL)

[14] Simon Skelton (ENG) v Nick Brett (ENG)

7.30pm

[9] Mervyn King (ENG) v Steve Glasson (AUS)