Bowls ace gunning for England squad

Stuart Holland will attend a trial from which the national team for the Four Nations Tournament will be chosen.

Father Stuart Holland snr said: "To be honest he's not had a brilliant season, but these are very exciting times."

The 18-year-old, last year's EBA National Express Junior Singles Championship runner-up, is among 32 hopefuls from around the country vying for 24 places in the under-25 party.

Stuart and the rest of the country's elite emerging talent will get their chance to impress over two lots of 15 ends in Daventry on July 23.

A final decision will then be made on which players will form the squad to face the rest of Great Britain on September 9-10.

Stuart, a member of Hastings-based Rosemount Bowls Club, lost in the opening round of the National Express Junior Singles Championship, but reached the last 16 of the county in the senior equivalent earlier in the season.

He and Egerton Park Indoor Bowling Club colleague Kevin Carrie also helped Sussex win the National Indoor Double Fours Championship at under-25 level during April.

Stuart reached the finals of the National Express Junior Singles Championship during 2002 and has twice played in the finals of the indoor version.