IT will be the Master against the Young Pretender when Graham Standley meets Mark Hammond in the final of the Hampshire indoor singles championship at Atherley on Sunday (10am).

Standley is not only a past winner of the title but has also won all the major county championships both indoors and outdoors during his illustrious career.

Facing him will be 21-year-old Hammond, who has yet to win a county indoor title but who is having the season of his life as he climbs the ladder of bowling success at Banister Park.

Former England indoor international Standley took the county pairs with Keith Cole last season - and the Longmeadow stalwart showed he was in cracking form for this weekend's showdown by beating Martyn Sekjer in the semi-final at neutral Banister Park.

The pair had met earlier this season in the national singles with Standley triumphant and he again proved his superiority by a comfortable 21-10 margin.

Standley established a 4-3 lead before taking the next four ends to go 13-3 clear. Although his East Dorset international opponent marginally reduced the gap to 17-8, Standley sailed home 21-10 declaring this his finest performance of the season.

Sekjer was not at his sharpest as he was suffering from a back injury and ironically Standley has since damaged his own back and has been receiving treatment from a chiropractor in an attempt to be 100 per cent to face Hammond.

Standley will have to be at his best to overcome Hammond, who has qualified for the national stages of the pairs and fours at Melton Mowbray next month besides reaching the semi-finals of the Warner Holidays Champion of Champion singles after beating reigning English singles title-holder John Rednall.

Hammond will be aiming for a Hampshire double as he lines up alongside his father Peter for the pairs against Russell Gadd and Neil O'Donovan from Palmerston (2pm).

After more than three months off because of a broken foot Peter returned for the semi-final and gave an excellent display as the Hammonds squeezed past Phil Drewball and Gary Starks at Chawton Park.

Although Banister Park led 17-16 going into the final end, the Victory duo held two shots until Mark drew the shot with his final delivery for an 18-16 success.

Gadd and O'Donovan - triples champions last year with Bill Jackson - also knocked out Victory in the last round ,gaining a 17-12 win against Trevor Bailey and Marty Fooks at Havant.