YORK Ladies brought more prestige to the York and District Indoor Bowls Club when they won the National Vivienne Trophy final 87-65 against Egham from Surrey.

The competition only started in 1998 and saw York come close in 2001 and 2002, going out in the quarter-finals on both occasions to the eventual winners Leicester and Lincoln respectively, so it was third time lucky.

Egham took the early honours with only one York rink keeping them in the game at four ends, that of Joyce Gee, Doreen Rodgers, Carroll Pink and Liz Worling.

They got off to a flier leading 9-0 to relieve the pressure on the other rinks, where Pat Bracken, Doreen Arnett, Ella Armitt and Maureen Robinson were trailing 5-0, Clarice Johnston, Brenda Martin, Mavis Puckering and Ann Sharpley were 3-1 down and Margaret Smith, Irene Paylor, Sylvia Walker and Pat Ellis were drawing 3-3.

Then the game changed. Johnston's rink picked up a four and Bracken's a two which signalled the start of an onslaught from the York Ladies bringing them an aggregate 60 shots to 32 against between the fourth and 15th ends and putting the game beyond Egham's reach.

Gee's rink extended her lead to 16-2 after nine ends before she was hit with a five and a three. But she always had the upper hand and finished winning 24-17.

Smith's team joined Gee's to keep up the pressure. They won all but two of the 11 ends between the sixth and 18th to go from 4-3 down to 23-7 up, finally winning 26-10.

Johnston's four were involved in a very even game which saw the lead change hands nine times.

Trailing 7-6, they scored a five on the ninth only to lose a five on the following end. They went into the 20th end 19-18 ahead, but when they dropped a single while the other three rinks had completed their games, both teams called it a draw at 19-19 with one end to play.

Bracken's side reflected the confidence the team were having to win ten out of 11 ends to go from 5-0 down to 17-7 ahead after 15 ends.

However, with the pressure off, they then lost five of the last six ends to lose the game 19-18.

The Vivienne Trophy was presented to York captain Pat Bracken by the England Women's Indoor president Clare Behan.

Updated: 09:29 Thursday, March 25, 2004