CARL Fountain was the surprise winner of the second planetbowls.com Clarrie Dunbar Open Singles Tournament, writes DAVE EATON.

The Dolphin Indoor Club player, from Poole, was only ranked in joint 472nd place with two ranking points prior to the tournament, but took the honours in the final scooping the winner’s cheque for £1,000.

Fountain defeated Torquay United’s Danny Denison 2-0 (7-4, 7-3) – the highest ranked player in the field at Clarrie Dunbar at number two and also world ranked 20 – and also lifted the £50 bounty prize on Denison’s head for the person to knock him out.

Fountain convincingly beat George Webber from St Andrews (WSM) 9-0 and 7-2 in round two, then Clevedon’s Margaret Dyer 8-3 and 7-0 and followed that up with a round four 9-2, 4-4 victory over Sue Cridland (Taunton Deane).

In the quarter final he faced Welford-on-Avon planetbowls tournament runner-up Mark Burdett (City of Coventry) but beat him in straight sets.

The semi-finals saw Fountain drawn against south coast rival Bournemouth’s Ben Paulley and he progressed after a third-set tiebreaker Denison needed tie-breakers to get past Martin Timms (Welford), Barry Forse (St Andrews) and Welshman Martin Selway (Islwyn), then beat James Shillingford (Camberley) and Clarrie Dunbar’s Duncan McGovern in straight sets.

In the semi-final against the 2014 Planetbowls Grand Prix champion, Shaun Jones (Malvern Hills) he progressed 7-4, 7-2.

A total of 80 players from all over the country including nine previous planetbowls open champions competed at Clarrie, both last year’s champion Andrew Colebrooke and finalist Graham Shadwell being knocked out in the second round.

“The Clarrie Dunbar Open was a resounding success,” said club proprietor and manager Brian Hawkins.

“It was a fantastic weekend with great atmosphere and extremely well supported again. We have booked the same weekend next year with Planetbowls.

He added: “Carl Fountain stood out throughout the tournament, his orange bowls peppered the jack consistently and was a deserved winner. The bowling in the two semi finals was exceptional.

“I would also like to say a big thanks to all the markers, helpers, spectators and Trowbridge’s Ruth Gerrish who umpired tirelessly.”

The Clarrie Dunbar Open was the first of three planetbowls tournaments to be staged in the west country in four weeks.

The Bristol Open is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, while the second North Wilts Open will be staged at their Westcroft base in Chippenham on March 21/22.