by Kevin Redsull

St George's Bowls Club have won their first national title.

The Minster-based trio of England international Debbie Baker, Judy Banes and her daughter Amy triumphed in the women’s triples in the national outdoor championships at Royal Leamington Spa.

And they could make it a superb double on Saturday when they take on a team from Kings BC in New Eltham in the county final at Petts Woods BC.

Amy, 25, said: “It’s a great achievement but we have decided we aren’t going to celebrate too much until after the county final.

“Despite the fact Debbie is an England international and I have been in the junior international squad. we were probably one of the outsiders at the start of the week but we managed to produce our best form when it mattered.”

Their six victories at Leamington Spa including knocking out the defending champions from Devon in the quarter-finals.

They then beat a triple from Consett BC in Durham in the last four before producing a tremendous fightback in the final against a trio from Didcot BC.

They were trailing the Berkshire team by seven shots with just five ends to play but the St George’s trio, who reached the national quarter-finals two years ago, then decided “to go for broke,” according to Amy and by the last end, they had cut the deficit to two shots.

Even then they were facing defeat until Amy, whose father Keith is the club treasurer, managed to squeeze the jack out with her last bowl which brought the scores level at 18-18 and set-up a deciding extra end shootout.

Amy added: “It was all pretty tense by that stage but we managed to pull it off.

“Now we want to win the Kent title as well, although it seems a bit odd playing the county final after just becoming national champions but that’s the way the Kent Bowls Association have had to organise it this year.”

The Minster trio will represent England in the British Isles Championships at Glasgow next June.