He's only 12 years old and has been bowling for just two years, but Mike Stone of Egerton Park has qualified for Sussex finals day at Eastbourne on April 22.

Encouraged by grandparents Alan and Diane Stone to take up the game, Mike became a record breaker at Wealden during county semi-finals when becoming the youngest player indoors or outdoors to reach a county final.

He met Worthing Pavilion's Gareth Bevan, a fellow left hander, in the under-25s singles and beat him 21-16.

Although he scored a single on the first end, Stone then dropped 2,4 but replied with 3,2 only for the sixth end to cost him two shots which left him 8-6 down.

Two singles followed, but then Bevan got 4,1 to regain the lead. The Egerton Park schoolboy then scored 2,2 to lead but when Bevan got a two he was ahead. On the 14th end Stone got a full house followed by a two and after dropping a single scored 2,1 to win 21-16 after 18 ends.

In the final Stone will play Preston's Adrian Finnie, the defending champion, who is eight years his senior. After an outstanding match Finnie beat Tony Clarkson of Falaise 21-19.

Clarkson was in the driving seat for a long way and at 15-10 needed only six more shots, but Finnie was beginning to draw well and although Clarkson was successful with some of his firing shots, playing with weight did upset his drawing skills.

Finnie closed to 15-14 but then Clarkson got a two. In trouble on the next end, Clarkson killed it but when it was replayed his fourth delivery, after a drive, was very wide of head and dropping a four put him 18-17 behind.

A double for Clarkson put him 19-18 ahead but on the next end the Falaise player watched as Finnie drew three very close. So it was another drive and two of the three bowls disappeared. With his fourth bowl Finnie tried to nudge out Clarkson's nearest to win the match but just missed: 19-19.

On the next end Finnie's third delivery was a vital toucher on the jack and he completed his win with another single on the next end.

Earlier in the day Clarkson had played in the county singles for winners and runners-up in club championships the previous season. He lost 21-17 after 25 ends to Ivan Parsons of Wealden.

Clarkson had gone 7-1 up at five ends and 11-5 after ten.

Clarkson then picked up 2,1,1,1 but 2,1,2 by Parsons left him 16-10 in front. Four ends later he led 18-13.

Clarkson just moved the jack enough to score a full house and on the next end Parsons had a chance with his last bowl to push out Clarkson's nearest but he declined to risk it and took one: 19-17. Clarkson's toucher - his third delivery - on the next end unluckily gave the shot away and on the 25th end, when two down, Parsons drew a toucher with his last bowl. Clarkson's drive was well wide of the head and Parsons was home 21-17.

The other tie was between Adur colleagues John Godfrey and Bob Martin-Cramp. The players exchanged threes over the 15th and 16th ends, but Godfrey was still 19-11 ahead and won 21-14 after 21 ends.