BLANTYRE'S Jim McCann secured a place in the #140,000 Midland Bank

World Indoor Bowls Championship at Preston in February when he came

through from yesterday's qualifier at Methil.

McCann clinched his place in the championship for the second

successive year when he added a final win over Auchinleck's Steve Rankin

to earlier victories against another of the Auchinleck contingent, Neil

McGhee, and Bainfield's Alex Marshall.

McCann had to work hard for his opening 7-5, 7-6 win against McGhee

and then had to haul himself back from the brink of defeat in his

semi-final clash with Marshall before winning 4-7, 7-6, 7-3.

Rankin had produced two impressive straight-set wins, needing just

eight ends to complete a 7-0, 7-0 whitewash of Cumbernauld's David

Miller in his opening match before adding a 7-4, 7-6 semi-final win over

East Lothian's Angus Blair.

McCann quickly opened up a 6-2 lead in the opening set of the final

before Rankin hit back with a count of three followed by a single to

square at 6-6. McCann, however, took the all-important set-winning shot

on the next end, the ninth, and went on to secure his Preston date when

he added the second set 7-4, also in nine ends. Results:

First round -- A Blair (East Lothian) beat G Gourlay (Fintry) 7-5,

7-0; S Rankin (Auchinleck) beat D Miller (Cumbernauld) 7-0, 7-0; A

Marshall (Bainfield) beat D Hendry (Perth) 7-0, 7-2; J McCann (Blantyre)

beat N McGhee (Auchinleck) 7-5, 7-6. Semi-finals -- Rankin beat Blair

7-4,

7-6; McCann beat Marshall 4-7, 7-6, 7-3. Final -- McCann beat Rankin

7-6, 7-4.