World No 6 Les Gillett spearheads Chipping Norton's bid for a new nationwide big-money Top Ten competition starting on Sunday.

Gillett, who won five of his six singles matches in the United Kingdom's overwhelming 31-14 victory against the Rest of the World last weekend, will anchor Chippy in the singles section of the Famous Grouse format at Bristol.

Fellow England international Alan Prew is absent because of work.

But both Dale Hall and England Under 25 prospect Andrew Martin who formed part of the Gillett-skipped team which reached the final of the English triples and fours two seasons ago are included in the team, as are Steve Jones and Dave Lattimore following their success in the Oxon indoor competitions last season.

Gillett said: "The first prize is 1,500. Hopefully we can win it for the club. It's a challenge for a club our size, but we've a lot of good bowlers here. If we can harness that talent, we've got a chance." Gillett and the separate fours team play at Bristol, and the pairs and triples at Chippy (10 am).

There was a touch of irony in the inaugural rankings list introduced this month to aid England's selectors.

Gillett, controversially omitted last year, is fifth in the top 100! Prew is ranked 20, Hall is 22nd and Martin 42nd.

Richard Sampson, the Oxon outdoor bowler who played for Reading club Whiteknights indoors, is No 9 in the England listings.

Greg Moon, of Banbury, the reigning English indoor singles champion who plays at Avon Valley, is ranked joint ninth with Sampson.

Meanwhile, Gillett, on his UK debut, won both his singles on the opening day as his side built up a 12-3 lead in last weekend's Bryant Cup triumph over the Rest of the World on the Norfolk coast. He saw off Australia's Kevin Walsh 2-9, 9-8, 9-0 and then beat South Africa's Gerry Baker 9-3, 9-3.

There was more singles glory for Gillett the following day, when he toppled Aussie No 1 Steve Glasson 9-5, 4-9, 9-5 and then took just nine ends to demolish former world indoor singles quarter-finalist Ian Taylor, another Aussie, 9-3, 9-1.

The UK needed three singles wins on Saturday night to retain the cup and Gillett, Swansea's Steve Rees and Glasglow's David Gourlay provided them.

Gillett completed the singles matches on Sunday night beating Peter Belliss 9-8, 9-2 before losing 6-9, 9-5, 9-4 to the Rest's top man, Rowan Brassey.