Bowls: Thomson gets out of the wood

ANDY THOMSON survived a superb fightback from Willie Wood to reach the semi-finals of the Churchill Insurance World Indoor Singles Championship for the first time in Preston yesterday.

The Kent bowler saw a two- set lead disappear before winning 7-0, 7-3 5-7, 6-7, 7-4. Thomson had opened up a 5-1 lead in the third but the Scotsman saved a match lie and went on to take it 7-5. Another comeback in the fourth gave him the set 7-6 to level the match.

In the decider, Thomson, trailing 2-3, picked up three shots on the fifth end followed by a single to lead 6-3 and two ends later another single competed his win.