World Matchplay Back At Ponds Forge - With The Co-op

The World Bowls Tour will celebrate the third year of a sponsorship agreement with Co-operative Funeralcare when the World Matchplay Championship returns to Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield on 16 and 17 July.

Featuring the top eight players in the WBT world rankings, the Co-operative Funeralcare World Matchplay Championship will receive live coverage of all matches on both days on Sky Sports.

WBT veteran Andy Thomson will be back to defend his title. The top-seeded world No7 from London faces former world champion Mervyn King, the eighth seed, in the first round. Thomson, a former world number one, beat record five-time world champion Alex Marshall in last year's final - and will be hoping to win his third title at Ponds Forge after triumphing in the International Open in 2003.

Marshall, the second seed, lines up against Welshman Jason Greenslade in his opening match. The Scot will be looking to revive his flagging WBT run: "I've had a very poor season, the worst I've had in my career for ten years," admitted Marshall recently. "My form hasn't been that great, but I picked up a new set of bowls so I'm confident."

2007 champion Greg Harlow will be delighted to return to Ponds Forge - his favourite WBT venue. The City of Ely star, the fifth seed, takes on fourth seed Paul Foster - the in-form Scot who has just won the Premier League Bowls crown for the second year in a row.

Both players have enjoyed title victories at Ponds Forge - but Harlow, with four titles to his name in Sheffield, has been the most successful on the WBT's portable rink in the Yorkshire city.

The event's third seed Mark Royal made his World Matchplay debut last year. The new world number two from Stowmarket faces Scotland's former world number one David Gourlay in the first round.