YORK'S Michelle Mooring took the scalps of two international stars to reach the semi-finals of the Women's All England Indoor Bowls Under-31 singles championship at Potters Stadium, near Great Yarmouth, at the weekend.

There was more success for York when England International Jeanette Coulson steered her team into the semi-finals of the triples.Mooring, 18, the first York player to feature in the under-31 championship, found herself trailing 7-13 and later 14-18 against England junior international Sarah Watkinson from Barnsley Metrodome in the opening round, but she stormed back to win the battle 21-19.

Mooring then took on the 1995 champion and England senior international Katherine Hawes from Cherwell, Oxford in the quarter-finals.

Hawes led 18-12 - but Mooring again produced a fighting finish, pounding the big name star with a double, a single, a maximum four and a double to win 21-18.

Mooring was all square at 11-11 with Samantha Allcorn from Angel, Tonbridge, Kent, in the semi-finals, but then Alcorn set sail for the winning post, scoring on seven of the next eight ends to win 21-13.

Mooring is coached by Mick Parker at York Indoor Bowls Club in Thanet Road.

The title went to Norwich's Lynne Whitehead, who defeated Alcorn 21-10 in the final.

Meanwhile, the York trio of Linda Parker, Helen Walker and Jeanette Coulson opened their triples championship campaign with a massive 27-7 victory over Sylvia Bloomfield's team from Tye Green, Essex in the first round.

In the quarter finals Coulson and company saw off Hawes and her ladies from Cherwell 19-13.

The York trio trailed 2-7 after six ends but battled back to lead 12-7.

Although Hawes pulled back two singles and a double to cut the gap to 12-11, Coulson and her team-mates were soon back in business, scoring a single, a double and a four at three of the next five ends to win 19-13.

In today's semi-finals the York trio play Doreen Miller's team from March, Cambridgeshire, while Sutton from Surrey meet Mote Park, Maidstone.

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