ENGLAND saw off Scotland, Ireland, Jersey and Wales to secure two gold medals at the British Bowls International Series.
Held at Victoria Park in Leamington, England came out on top in a battle of the British Isles.
This year’s event combined historic team rivalry played out on one green with a multi-disciplined format.
Players were tested across the four disciplines with every game contributing to the overall team score and played using World Bowls and Commonwealth Games disciplines.
After three days of hard-fought games for all of the nations, it came down to the final session of the last day to determine the winners.
England men topped the table with 126 points, closely followed by Wales on 123.
And England women also finished top with 135 points, with Scotland accumulating 123 points to claim second place.
England men’s captain, Sam Tolchard, said: “I’m really proud of the boys – every game was tough out there, but we dug deep in all the difficult moments and came back stronger in the next session.
“The new format gave us the opportunity to develop as a team throughout the Series, moving players and trying new combinations and we’ve gained invaluable experience of playing other international event formats.
“I believe this will only make us stronger in the future. It’s always hard when it comes down to the very last moment, but I think it was great that the event was so open going into the last session with us, Wales and Ireland all with a chance to win.
“Obviously, we would have liked to go into the last game in a safer position, but we knew that it was in our hands needing four disciplines and an overall win. Under pressure, we produced and put in a big performance to clinch the top spot and get the gold.”
England women’s captain and World Championships gold medallist, Amy Pharaoh, said: “To be captain of this team is an absolute honour.
“With a mix of experienced players and some at the start of their international bowls career, we rallied together and supported one another throughout the tournament and this great team spirit really showed on the greens.
“To bounce back from a defeat to Scotland with a convincing win against them in the following session showed the strength of this squad, and to come away with the gold in both the women’s and men’s event was the cherry on top.
“The atmosphere over the course of the tournament was incredible, and the support from spectators was greatly appreciated by the whole England squad.”
Performance Director, Mo Monkton, added: “It’s hard to express how proud I am of this team.
“The dedication and commitment from the squad and performance team was rewarded with gold medals for both the women’s and men’s teams. They showed resilience throughout the tournament, stuck to the task and fully deserved their success.
“We have invested a huge amount of time and effort in developing our performance programme and international events, like the British Bowls International Series, World Bowls and Commonwealth Games, are a key part of our growth. Winning gold, on home greens, is proof that we are heading in the right direction – I feel the future of our sport is in a very good place.”
England’s men’s team comprised: Harry Goodwin, James Hampton, Kevin Harrison, Tom McGuinness, Dominic McVittie, Tristan Morton, Sam Tolchard, Andrew Walters, Ryan Whitlock, Wayne Willgress, Ed Morris and Jamie Walker.
England’s women’s team comprised: Stef Branfield, Annalisa Dunham, Katherine Hawes-Watts, Ruby Hill, Laura Holden, Sian Honnor, Emily Kernick, Lorraine Kuhler, Jamie-Lea Marshall, Amy Pharoah, Katherine Rednall, Nicole Rogers, Harriett Stevens, Sophie Tolchard and Rebecca Wigfield.
Kirk Smith managed the men’s team with Sandy Hazell in charge of the women’s team.
