The 45-year-old from Newcastle-upon-Tyne reached the last 16 after upsetting ninth seed Billy Jackson, the 2009 champion from Lincoln.  

But few would have given the outsider a chance against eighth seed King, the local hero from Norfolk who won the Premier League trophy in September and then, after winning silver in the Delhi Commonwealth Games, picked up the Scottish International Open crown in November.

King twice led in the first set, but Arkley – playing with red bowls borrowed from reigning world champion Greg Harlow - snatched a single in the final end to take the set.  In the second set, crowd favourite King built up a four-shot lead going into the final two ends.

Tie-breaks seemed on the horizon – but Brett clearly had other ideas.  With King holding three shots in the eight end, the Tynesider drew the shot to get a single, and in the final end played a wonder bowl to convert two down to two up before adding a third with his final delivery to clinch an incredible 6-5, 7-7 victory.

"I can't believe where that shot in the final end came from – it was a dream result," exclaimed Brett, now in his first world quarter-final.  "I'll never play a shot like that again.  

"Considering the pressure I was under, I'd say that was the best game I've ever played."

Brett's success is all the more noteworthy as he is hampered by severe arthritis and recently suffered a heart attack.  "I managed to hold things together and keep calm.  I'm glad the match wasn't on TV as I am frightened of getting distracted.

"I was shaking like a leaf at the end."

King acknowledged that he didn't play well:  "Perhaps I had too many expectations.  You need a little bit of luck and I didn't have it.

"He got a 110% result with that two – I couldn't have played better bowls in that end.

"I nearly won that game – but I didn't play well enough to win the tournament," concluded the 45-year-old from Fakenham.

Earlier Scotland's record five times world champion Alex Marshall was taken to the wire before beating local hero Tim Stone, a wild card player from Norwich.

Marshall confidently won the opening set at the venue where he won his five world titles - and took a two-shot lead in the second.  But Stone began to make his mark on the game and overtook the fourth seed from East Lothian to take the game into tie-breaks.  

The local left-hander played a stunning draw shot to draw level in the second tie-break end and, in a nervous final end, just failed to press home an advantage as Marshall sneaked home 8-3, 4-9, 2-1.

"It was a cracking game," conceded the 32-year-old outsider.  "I'm just pleased to have pushed Alex all the way.

"There's such a thin line between success and failure.  But it's back to the drawing board for me now - trying to qualify for this again next year," said Stone.  "That's the hardest part."

Marshall agreed that he'd been stretched:   "Tim put me under a lot of pressure – he's a fantastic player.  I had to dig deep.  He played two fantastic bowls in the tie-break.

"I feel bit sorry for Tim as he'll now have to go back to qualifying for this all over again next year," added Marshall

In the last match of the night, England's twice former world champion Andy Thomson claimed a place in the last eight for the tenth time since his debut in 1988 when he beat fellow countryman Andrew Ware, a qualifier from Ely.

Veteran campaigner Thomson, the No10 seed, took the opening set but fell away as Ware battled back to draw level.  The tie-breaks went the full distance before Londoner Thomson drew his final bowl to within ten inches of the jack in the ditch to claim a dramatic 9-4, 5-9, 2-1 win.

"I started to lose the route to the jack in the second set – and he was playing better than me," admitted the 55-year-old England captain.  "To eventually win is a great relief – I'm so pleased."

A downcast Ware said:  "I'm really gutted – I thought I'd done enough.  I thought I had him in the second tie-break end – his bowl was just millimetres closer than mine."

RESULTS:   Potters Holidays World Indoor Bowls Championships, Hopton-on-Sea, England

World Singles, 2nd round:
[4] Alex Marshall, MBE (SCO) bt Tim Stone (ENG) 8-3, 4-9, 2-1
[Q] Brett Arkley (ENG) bt [8] Mervyn King (ENG) 6-5, 7-7
[10] Andy Thomson (ENG) bt [Q] Andrew Ware (ENG) 9-4, 5-9, 2-1

Friday (21 January) schedule:
10.00am
World Singles, quarter-finals:
[12] Robert Weale (WAL) v [4] Alex Marshall, MBE (SCO)    
1.00pm
[1] Greg Harlow (ENG) v [Q] Brett Arkley (ENG)    
[10] Andy Thomson (ENG) v [2] Paul Foster (SCO)    
7.30pm
[3] Mark Royal (ENG) v [11] Darren Burnett (SCO)    

Saturday (22 January) schedule:
12.30pm
World Singles, semi-finals:
Harlow or Arkley v Weale or Marshall
Royal or Burnett v Thomson or Foster