LAMPETER Bowling Club’s duo of Alis Butten and her mother Anwen Butten finished as runners-up in the British Isles Bowls Pairs Championships, which were held in Llandrindod Wells last week.

The Ceredigion pair reached the final of the competition following a fine win over Jersey in the semi-finals, but they were forced to play second fiddle in the end to a talented England pairing of Sophie Tolchard and Natalie Chestney in the final.

The Devonians led 13-1 after six ends, and held a similar advantage for the majority of the contest for a 25-13 victory.

Results: Preliminary: Cliodhna Eadie and Sandra Bailie (Ireland) beat Sandra Steven and Kirsteen McLelland (Scotland) 17-15. Semi-finals: Alis Butten and Anwen Butten (Wales) beat Sheila McGinnigle and Chris Grimes (Jersey) 30-6; Sophie Tolchard and Natalie Chestney (England) beat Cliodhna Eadie and Sandra Bailie (Ireland) 21-20. Final: Sophie Tolchard and Natalie Chestney (England) beat Alis Butten and Anwen Butten (Wales) 25-13.

Alis Butten also represented Wales in the team event, gaining her first ever senior cap along with her mum Anwen, who was the Wales team captain for the series.

They were joined in the six rink side by Lampeter clubmates, Rhian Jones, Carolyn James and Melanie Thomas, and they eventually finished in third position overall to Scotland and winners England.

England dominated the Championships at a sweltering Llandrindod Wells, when securing four of the five titles on offer.

Devon’s Sophie Tolchard and Natalie Chestney, sandwiching Kings BC club-mate Lorraine Hackett in the triples, faced a tough semi against Jersey’s Cathy Le Sueur, Eileen Vowden and Jackie Knight.

With no more than four shots separating the teams at any stage in the contest, the match went all the way to an extra end with the English trio coming out on top.

The triples final followed a similar vein as the pairs final, as the English started brightly against Ireland’s Chloe Watson, Eadie and Bailie, for a 22-12 scoreline.

England’s success continued in the fours with Surrey’s Doreen Hankin, Glenda Dexter, Norma Beales and Pauline Clark.

The Egham BC four comfortably defeated a Scotland rink 30-21 in the preliminary round, before an impressive 22-10 victory over Wales’ Kayleigh Morris, Jess Sims, Wendy Price and Betty Morgan MBE.

The final, however, against Jersey’s Tracey O’Connor, Chris Grimes, Katie Nixon and Rachel MacDonald, went all the way to an extra end. With both teams struggling to shrug off their opponents and again, no more than four shots between the rinks during the match, it was the English rink that secured a 20-18 win.

England’s final success came in the Senior Fours event as Carol Watson, Sue Willmott, Margaret Atkins and Shirley Foxwell, from Lindfield BC in Sussex, beat Aberaeron’s Heulwen Morgan, Sue Hough, Carol Molton and Anne Williams for Wales 19-17, and Ireland’s May McIlmoyle, Noelle Graham, Norma Marshall and Dessa Baird 17-11 to reach the final.

The English quartet looked in control in the final against Jersey’s Carol Le Goff, Joyce Laffolley, Carole Derrien and Margaret Breen, leading 18-7 at 14 ends, however they lost the next five ends to lead by just two shots with two ends to play.

The English quartet then picked up a crucial count of two shots on the 20th end, on the way to securing a 20-18 victory.

England’s only disappointment came in the Singles, with Donna Knight losing 21-10 in the semi-final to Ireland’s Bernie O’Neill, who lost to Wales’ Laura Daniels in the final 21-19. Daniel beat Donna Fleming of Scotland in the semis 21-13.