World indoor bowls championships up next for new Scottish indoor singles champion and Moray bowling stalwart Michael Stepney
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MICHAEL Stepney wondered if he could ever repeat his Scottish indoor bowls singles title of 2009.
But the Moray bowler swept to national glory once again at West Lothian on Sunday to regain his crown.
The 48-times capped Scotland international now has seven Scottish titles to his name, as well as a British Isles Championship triumph which he hopes to repeat in Northern Ireland next year.
Stepney, from Burghead, said he was involved in one of the best singles matches of his career when he defeated Scotland skipper and close pal Colin Walker (Midlothian) 21-19 in Saturday's singles semi-final.
The Elgin club stalwart then overcame a nervy finish to defeat Garioch bowler Jason Banks by the same scoreline in Sunday's final.
His victory takes Stepney into the British Isles Championships, which he won in 2010 following his last Scottish indoor singles title success.
"You always think you might not get there again after winning it 12 years ago, especially after getting beat in my last final final seven years ago," he said.
"You begin to wonder if you're going to miss out on winning it again after all this time, so it was really pleasing to do it.
"I've had great support from everyone, and it took me a couple of hours to go through all the messages on Sunday congratulating me."
Stepney came through four qualifiers at his home club, including victory over fellow Scotland international Andrew Barker in a final held over from before the pandemic.
He progressed to the playdowns at East Kilbride in October, defeating Coatbridge, Glasgow, Falkirk and Ardrossan opponents to reach last weekend's semi-finals.
In Saturday's match he took on pal Walker, who he had been out for a meal the night before with their wives.
"It was probably one of the best singles games I’ve played in, an unbelievable match" Stepney said. "A lot of the folk watching said it was a classic.
"We both played really, really well and it was just bowl for bowl all the way through.
"It was topsy turvy, I started well and then I was down, I got back up again and when we got to the ten shots it was level pegging all the way.
"He would get an end or two, then I would and it went back and forth. I played a good last end to get a three and win the game from 19-18 down.
"It was a shame for one of us to lose because it was such a good game."
Inverurie bowler Banks stood between Stepney and glory on Sunday.
"Early doors he was up and I started coming on to a game but he kept in it. He kept playing a big bowl to keep him in the game.
"I played a couple of horror ends at the end, I was 20-14 up, lost a single and then a four to go 20-19.
"So I had to go away and give myself a shake, and I played a good end at the last one to get the win."
Stepney has won Scottish titles at pairs, triples, fours and two-bowl pairs to add to his two singles, completing a senior clean sweep with only a national junior title the only one to evade him."
He admitted he played a lot more singles matches on the national circuit this year, with his efforts paying off.
"It’s been going well in the club since the start of this year. I don't normally do many singles events but I have been playing in more this year.
"You could almost say I’ve been concentrating a bit more, especially in the singles.
"I struggle sometimes in my first two bowls so I have been focussing on making them better and it is working at the moment.
"I will keep trying that when I go to the worlds in January and see if it is working."
A veteran of appearances at the Potters resort in Norfolk for the World Indoor Championships, world number 13 Stepney returns there in January to play in both the singles and doubles events.
In 2011 he paired up with Barker as an unseeded Elgin duo who surpassed all expectations to go all the way to the final, losing narrowly to multiple world champs and fellow Scots Alex Marshall and Paul Foster.
Now paired with England's Simon Skelton, Stepney reached last year's semis and hopes for a similar run in 2022.
Stepney and Skelton begin their pairs quest on January 7 in the first round against South African duo Gillian Young and Thinus Oelofse.
The Elgin player opens his singles challenge five days later against England's Ian Honnor.
His next mission is on the Scotland international front, as he returns to to the scene of his national singles triumph in West Lothian to play in an international trial event.
If he is selected, Stepney will play in three international matches in 2022 as he has done for the past 16 years, and that will take him to 50 caps for his country.
"That is in Belfast so I'm hoping it is something else for me to look forward to next year."