An announcement from the World Bowls Tour contained great news for Fakenham Gallow star Mervyn King, who has climbed another five places in the provisional world ranking list to a career-best third spot.

The 2006 world champion, who recently won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, has made an emphatic return to his best form over the past 18 months.

After winning the Matchroom Premier League Bowls title in Cyprus in September, his high ranking reflects his outstanding achievement in winning the Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish International Open in Perth.

“I’m hoping to maintain my current form in front of a home crowd when the world championships get underway at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea in January,” said King, who was also named as the Norfolk’s sporting personality of the year at the EDP Sports Awards last week.

“The Scottish crowd were very kind to me in Perth, seeing I was playing against one of their own (Stewart Anderson) in the final, but it will be nice to get back to Norfolk, and see some familiar faces among the spectators.”

King’s upwardly mobile Gallow clubmate Jamie Chestney, who was hoping to collect some valuable ranking points in Perth, was disappointed to lose to England team captain Andy Thomson.

He does not figure in the provisional top 24, but another Norfolk ace Tim Stone, who has received a wildcard invitation to the world championships in Potters, is hanging in at equal number 23.

WBT provisional world ranking list: 1 G Harlow (Eng), P Foster (Sco), M King (Eng), D Burnett (Sco), S Skelton (Eng), S Anderson (Sco), 7 D Gourlay (Sco), 8= B Jackson (Eng) and J Ross (Sco), 10= I Bond (Eng) and R Weale (Wales); 12 M Royal (Eng), 13 R Paxton (Eng), 14 A E Thomson (Eng), 15 A Marshall (Sco), 16 J Greenslade (Wales), 17 N Brett (Eng), 18= J Price (Wales) and K Kerkow (Aus), 20 B Wilkie (Aus). Other placing: 23 T Stone (Eng).