Katherine Hawes described Oxford City & County’s triumph in the Bowls England Women’s National Fours Championship as a “wonderful achievement”.

Hawes skipped the quartet of Myra Lewis, Donna Knight and Gail Gilkes to a 25-15 victory over Brenda Bishop’s side from Kings-thorpe, Northamptonshire, in the final at Royal Leamington Spa.

The England international said: “After a hard season it is really nice to come out with a national title.

“They are not easy to get, but we keep trying and we are all over the moon.”

The City & County four will now represent England in the British Isles Women’s International Series back at Victoria Park next June.

Hawes and Gilkes, England’s women’s team manager at the Commonwealth Games, have enjoyed success on the national stage before.

But, with the exception of the Top Club title, it was a new landmark for teammates Knight and Lewis.

Hawes added: “Myself and Gail said what we would like to do is to win national titles, but they don’t come along every day and so to achieve one, especially one that goes to the British Isles is a wonderful achievement.

“It is very exciting because the other two have not won a national title before, except for the Top Club.”

City & County’s fab four came through six matches to take the title.

They were pushed all the way in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, with a 19-18 win over Pat Reynolds’ four from Parkway, Huntingdonshire, and a 21-20 victory against Stef Branfield’s side, from Clevedon, 21-20 respectively.

In the latter match, the two fours were locked together at 20-20, with the Somerset side holding shot when Gilkes delivered what Hawes described as “an absolute pearler of a bowl” to snatch victory.

Hawes, meanwhile, reach-ed the quarter-finals of the National Singles Championship before bowing out 21-8 to eventual runner-up Sue Evans (Honiton, Devon).

The City & County star had thrashed Pam Channon (Helston, Cornwall) 21-2 in the last 16.

In the opening round, she won 21-15 against Hannah Overton (Parkway, Huntingdonshire), before then beating Sian Honnor (Homefield Park, Sussex) 21-12.

OTHER RESULTS

Triples preliminary round: G Jameson, A Robson & N Craig (Burradon, Northumberland) 20, D Knight, G Gilkes & K Hawes (Oxford City & County) 17. 1st round: S Mayo, M Lewis & J Berry (Oxford City & County) 16, J Marsh, M Knowles & S Hugill (Richmond, Yorkshire) 12. 2nd round: C Sage, D Whybrow & J Sellek (Bushey, Herts) 19, S Mayo, M Lewis & J Berry 10.

Two-wood singles prelim round: K Westwood (Whitehaven, Cumbria) 10, D Knight (Oxford City & County) 16. 1st round: D Knight 9, J Bell (Hatfield, Herts) 16; C Galletly (Banbury Central) 15, M Hayes (Ashford Rail, Kent) 12; M Snook (Boxford, Suffolk) 9, H Simpson (Shrivenham) 14. 2nd round: H Simpson 17, P Thornton (Dukeries, Notts) 14; L Galloway (Stute, Derbyshire) 6, C Galletly 17. 3rd round: H Simpson 14, J Leake (Poole Park, Dorset) 15; S Davies (Broadway, Wrocs) 18, C Galletly 8.

Senior singles 1st round: M Lewis (Oxford City & County) 21, S Maguire (Notts) 13. 2nd round: M Lewis 21, H Skinner (Herefordshire) 21-4. Quarter-final: S Davies (Worcestershire) 21, M Lewis 4.

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