Sandwich bowler Simon Green remained modest despite writing his name into Kent bowling history by claiming the National Four-Wood Singles Championship.

The 33-year-old became just the fourth Kent winner of the prestigious competition in its 111-year history, although he is the second success from Sandwich BC, after Gordon Charlton’s triumph in 2001.

Green secured a convincing 21-13 win over Andy Walters, of Worcestershire club Broadway, in the final in front of wife Sharon and dignitaries from the Kent County Bowling Association in Leamington Spa on Friday and admitted: “It took a while to sink in.”

He added: “I was just hoping to go up there and play well and see what happened.

“It wasn’t until my last game on the Thursday that I began to think about it. I had a bit of luck to scrape through that one and then a close quarter-final (21-20 against Dave Godwin of Royal Wootton Bassett) on the Friday morning. When you come through that you start to think it might be your time but I told myself to just stay calm and not look too far ahead. Take it one bowl at a time and I managed to do that.

“It was only after the end of the final that a few fist pumps came out.”

Green beat David Martin, of Hertfordshire club Garston, 21-16 in the last-four before overcoming 2013 champion Walters in the showpiece.

Third generation bowler Green began bowling at Eastry aged just nine and later moved to Betteshanger before joining Sandwich in 2002 and he said: “I’d love to defend my title next year but I have to start at the beginning like everyone else and go into the first round.

“It is difficult just to get into the quarter-finals in Kent so to have won it is something I’m not going to forget.”

As champion there is also an international competition for Green to look forward to in 2017.

Capt. R Colquhoun was the first Kentish winner of the title in 1929 while Andy Thomson MBE claimed the honour in 1981.