A YORK bowls player was hailed a national heroine this week after the most nerve-wracking moment of her career.

Michelle Mooring clinched victory for England with the last wood of the tournament in the Women's Under-25 Home International Championship in Edinburgh.

With the ecstatic cheers of supporters ringing in her ears she was lifted high by her team-mates overjoyed by her feat.

England and Scotland met in the last match with both teams level on points in the tournament. Because the rink Mooring was skipping had two 'dead' ends at the beginning of their final game they still had two ends to play when the other games had been completed.

Scotland lay two up on the final end of the last rink when 23-year-old Mooring, who plays for the Bert Keech Club in York, came to bowl the last wood of the match.

She needed to take out a Scottish wood for the match to end in a 76-76 tie and give England the trophy thanks to them having a much better shots difference than the Scots overall for the tournament.

"With her last wood the Scottish skip Ann Watson drew one shot to put them two up," said Mooring.

"I had to play a weighted shot to get under the Scottish skip's bowl.

"I took deep breaths and looked round and saw the hundreds of spectators' faces focusing on me," she recalled.

"I wiped my hand before I picked up my wood and then I took another deep breath.

"I was shaking like a leaf. But as soon as I let the bowl go I knew it was good.

"I followed it down the rink, screaming and shouting and so were the 500 spectators, including my parents.

"I took out the wood I wanted and everyone rushed on to congratulate me. The girls picked me up and my parents were in tears.

"In all my international matches I have never had such a privilege as that moment. I still can't believe I did it," added the Nestl Rowntree employee.

Mooring's feat won England the title for the first time in six years and she was skipping a completely new rink of colleagues this year.

Her next big date will be playing another York international in the England Under-25 women's singles quarter-finals at Royal Leamington Spa on August 9.

Mooring's opponent will be Amy Monkhouse, who plays at York Indoor Bowls Club in winter but represents Grimsby in the summer.

Monkhouse will soon be joining a York outdoor club, though - possibly Bert Keech - as she has a new job teaching in the city at All Saints School.

"I am getting closer and closer to beating Amy when we meet," said Mooring.

"And this time I am determined I'm going to beat her."

Updated: 11:05 Saturday, August 02, 2003