SPALDING Indoor Bowls Club ace Calvin Leuty set up a clash with a former world champion after beating local favourite Robert Weale in the opening round of the Welsh International Open.
Leuty, who qualified for the World Bowls Tour organised event after winning a tough qualifier in Lincoln, lost the first set 8-6 before finding his form in the second.
He won that 10-5 to set up a best of three end tie-break, which also went to a decider after Leuty took the first end before being pegged back.
Weale drew a close first shot, but the Spalding player moved the jack into the ditch before drawing within two feet with his last bowl to take the match and book a date with Mervin King in the next round.
• Spalding’s Annalisa Bellamy lost in the semi-final of the National Champion of Champions singles at the Hayling Island.
She beat Zoe Eagles 21-18 in the first round, before comfortably seeing off K Holmes 21-4 in the quarter-finals.
Bellamy’s last four clash was a close affair, with eventual winner Katherine Rednall just edging it.
• Another title is still on the cards for Spalding men’s team after they picked up a valuable win at rivals Lincoln in Lincs League Division One.
Defending champions Spalding won on four of the five rinks, with Ash Caress’s set leading the way in a comfortable win.
They struggled to adjust to Lincoln’s home green and found themselves well behind at five ends, but soon clawed their way back into the game to take the spoils.
• Spalding won their latest friendly fixture against Long Sutton by the comfortable 110-88 margin at Castle Sports.
After a slow start, which saw them trailing by 18-30 after five ends, Spalding came through to take a decisive lead after ten ends – something they held on to for the remainder of the match.
Spalding had three winning rinks, the best of which was lead by Dave Spridgen and included Abs Belding and June Taylor.