Holcombe players Sean Parker, Vince Lewis and Jon Gurney are Masters World Cup champions following triumphs in New Zealand.

Parker and Gurney played for England’s over-55s as they beat Australia 4-2 in the final while Lewis played for England over-55s’ International Masters Cup (IMC) team, who also beat Australia. They won 4-1.

The former two were involved in every game of a perfect campaign as they won all four pool matches to set up a semi-final tie with the hosts.

England beat Belgium 4-0, Singapore 16-1, Ireland 4-0 and South Africa 1-0 in Pool A before they dispatched the Kiwis, winning 2-0 in their last-four encounter.

That victory meant they would face Australia for gold after the Aussies had beaten South Africa 3-2 in their final-four fixture.

Australia took a two-goal lead through Neville Newell and Dean Wightman, but two goals in as many minutes towards the end of the third quarter from Mike Crowson and Nick Morris teed up an exciting final period.

England made use of that change in momentum to score twice more within the first five minutes through Martin Oates and Richard Jones to put them in pole position and they were able to hold on to become world champions.

New Zealand beat South Africa 3-1 to finish on the podium.

Lewis’ IMC side also won all of their matches en route to the final - scoring 10 in the pool stage without conceding - as they beat Australia 1-0, Alliance 5-0 and Southern Cross 4-0.

Lewis scored the winner against Australia and the fourth against Alliance.

Then came a friendly against Singapore, which England won 7-0, with Lewis again on the scoresheet.

England again met Alliance in the semi-final, winning 4-0 to set up a final against Australia, where Lewis gave England the advantage.

Alan Dalley, Dom D’Melo and Terry Pollard added more goals before Andrew Bewick scored a consolation for Australia in the dying embers.