NEIL Smith is knocking hard on the door again as he bids to break onto next season’s World Bowls Tour Indoor scene with a Tour Card.

The Westlecot Indoor Club member , from Peatmoor, a has reached the last 16 of the Tour Card play-offs and showdown at Blackpool’s Newton Hall, Lancashire, next May.

Smith, who recently made a successful indoor international debut for England in a Mixed Test match against Wales in County Durham at the end of September, is no stranger to the WBT TourCard play-offs scene having lost in the final three times in the last four years.

He missed out on a place amongst the world’s elite players in 2012, losing to Jamie Chestney, then the following year fell at the final hurdle to Billy Jackson and in 2014 had to give second best 1.5-0.5 (7-7, 11-5) in the final to Carlisle’s Ben Sherwen.

The 49-year-old booked his place in the last 16 at Bromley IBC last Sunday.

Twenty-four players contested the European Masters qualifier with the six group winners and two best runners-up moving forward into the knockout stage for the two places on offer at Blackpool.

Smith won his opening two group games, beating Brighton’s Chris Wilkins two sets to nil (6-5, 9-4) and then recording a comfortable 2-0 win (15-1, 11-4) over Cynthia Lee (Essex County).

In his last group game he faced Ipswich’s Phil Last, a regular WBT qualifier, knowing that all he needed to do was win a set or not lose by seven shots or more.

The first set was tight but Smith lost it 4-3. In the second he was 6-4 down going into the last and settled for dropping two shots to lose that set 8-4 but still qualify for the last eight and knockout stages.

Drawn against Last again in the semi finals, he won the second set 7-5 to book a final place against Rob Taylor (Preston, Brighton), conqueror of both him and his daughter Katy in the World Pairs qualifier final six weeks ago.

After tying the first set, he pulled away in the second to win 8-2.

“It was a really tough day at Bromley but very rewarding coming out on top in a very good field,” said Smith, who has been offered a three-year contract by Henselite to join their sponsored team, joining the likes of world number one Nicky Brett and former world number one and recent Scottish International Open winner Greg Harlow.

“I have lost in three Tour Card finals, 2014, 13, 12 so hopefully this time it is fourth time lucky.”