KATY SMITH made her international debut for England last weekend on her home green at Wootton Bassett.

The teenager from Peatmoor, west Swindon, helped England to a 16-8 victory in the two-day mixed Under 18 Test Series against Wales, the first of its type ever to be held outdoors in this country.

Two points were awarded for a win and one for a draw in this junior international played over all four disciplines - singles, pairs, triples and fours. The two singles games were 21 shots up, while the other three disciplines were all played over 15 ends.

England drew the first session 2-2 on Saturday afternoon consisting of a boys and girls pairs, as well as triples games. After a short break that was followed up with a clean sweep 4-0 win in the two mixed pairs and two mixed triples matches.

In the third and final session on Sunday morning, honours were shared 2-2 in the girls and boys singles, as well as fours games, giving England an overall 8-4 win on disciplines for a 16pts-8pts victory.

Katy Smith lost her opening game with lead Anna Hall (Kent) in the pairs but bounced back later in the day with victory in the mixed pairs with partner John Yates (Lancs).

On Sunday morning Smith, in arguably the best game of the entire Test Series, was unlucky to go down on the last end 21-20 in the singles to Welsh player Katie Thomas despite a tremendous fightback.

After winning the first end Smith trailed 10-1 after six, but fought back superbly to cut the gap to 13-11 at 15 ends and 15-14 at 17 before moving in front 19-18 after 22.

But after the match was tied 20-20 at 24 ends Smith was edged out on the last end as the lead changed hands several times.

“The match was a tremendous success,” said Bowls England director Adam Tanner (Wootton Bassett) who is responsible for the development of Youth bowls.

“The standard of play was top class and extremely exciting. We will be looking to stage more of these matches in the future.

“Bowls England wishes to thank Wootton Bassett BC for hosting the event.”

  • JANET Willis, from Stratton Churchway, was in fine form at the Swindon & District Women’s Bowling Association finals last Sunday.

The vastly experienced county player bagged a hat-trick of victories at Westlecot.

But in sharp contrast it was a day her Wiltshire Johns Trophy team colleague and Purton bowler, Alison Fail, will wish to forget as she lost all three of the singles finals she contested.

Willis kicked-off her treble with a narrow 21-18 shots win over Fail in the champion of champions singles final.

Then Willis turned her attentions to the charity triples and teamed-up with Katherine Riach and Wendy Anderson to skip Churchway to a comfortable 20-11 victory over Haydon Wick.

She completed her hat-trick when leading her rink to a 23-12 win over Wanborough in the Double Rinks final.

After losing to Willis in the champion of champions final, Fail then went down in the four wood singles final 21-15 to Westlecot’s Geraldine Reade, who had earlier lost the two wood final 15-12 to Highworth’s county bowler Linda Kingston.

To complete Fail’s Sunday woes, the Purton official then lost her secretary’s cup tie 21-16 to Wroughton’s Babs Salter.

Wroughton also claimed another success as Margaret Dowthwaite and Lynda Whittingham took the pairs crown beating Wanborough’s Jean Crepaz and Deanne Davis 21-16.