Poolie Higgins secures World Indoor Singles Championships qualification

Hartlepool held the latest round of WBT World Indoor Singles qualifiers at the weekend and there was more regional success to report.

- by Sport Reporter

Hartlepool's Mark Higgins

Following on from Stanley's Brett Arkley's qualification at the Abbeyview event, another local lad will don the infamous portable blue carpet at Potters in January.

The host club's Mark Higgins battled through a field of 64 to secure his place at the World Indoor Championships.

Higgins started his campaign with two straight forward wins, 7-3, 9-0 win over Scotland's Alistair Elliott was followed by a 6-3, 6-2 win over PBA secretary Gillian Hinsley.

In the last 16, Higgins was involved in a classic against Lancashire's Lloyd Milligan.

After losing the first set 6-1, Higgins bounced back winning the second set also 6-1.

In three high quality tiebreakers Higgins converted the head with his final bowl on the final end and when Milligan missed Higgins moved into the last eight.

In the quarterfinals, Higgins eased past Hornsea's James Baxter 10-5, 12-2 to set up a semifinal tie against Scotland's Colin Banks.