Scotland's Paul Foster will be striving to defend his men’s crown at the 2018 World Indoor Bowls Championships ©World Bowls Tour

Scotland's Paul Foster and England's Katherine Rednall will be striving to defend their respective men's and women's crowns at the 2018 World Indoor Bowls Championships, which are scheduled to begin tomorrow at the Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk.

Foster, who beat England's Greg Harlow in the 2017 final to claim a fifth open singles title, is due to start his bid for glory against English qualifier Lea Blackham on January 22.

Harlow is seeded second and is set to open his campaign against another English qualifier, Martin Puckett, on the same day.

England's Nick Brett and Scotland's Alex Marshall are seeded third and fourth respectively.

They are both set to play their first-round matches on January 17, with Brett facing South Africa's George Lotter and Marshall going up against New Zealand's Andrew Kelly.

England's Katherine Rednall, centre, beat compatriot Ellen Falkner, right, in last year's women's final ©World Bowls Tour
England's Katherine Rednall, centre, beat compatriot Ellen Falkner, right, in last year's women's final ©World Bowls Tour

In the women's singles event, Rednall will first have to overcome Scotland's Julie Forrest as she aims to repeat her 2017 triumph.

The three other quarter-finals in the eight-woman competition pit Australia's Ellen Ryan against Scotland's Lesley Doig, Guernsey's Alison Merrien against England's Janice Gower, and England's Rebecca Field against Ireland's Chloe Watson.

All last-eight ties are scheduled for January 20. 

Pairs, mixed pairs and under-25 events are also due to be held over the course of the 17-day event.

Action is due to conclude on January 28.