HOLGATE WMC won both York C&IU League doubles competitions to retain the trophies they won last year.

In the Four Woods Pairs final, Alan Phillips and Peter Jackson beat Clarence pair John Stroughair and Gary Bunce 18-11, and club-mates Brian Birch and Steve Lea saw off Dave Preece and Mal Bulmer, of Railway Institute, 19-13 in the Veterans' Pairs final.

Phillips and Jackson won the first four ends of their final to take a six-shot lead, which they still held after nine ends at 9-3.

Stroughair and Bunce won six of the next seven to lead for the first time 11-10, but the last four ends went to Holgate WMC, with Jackson denying the Clarence pair over and over again when they looked to be holding the winning woods.

In the Vets Pairs, Lea, winner last year, and new partner Birch were 7-3 leaders after six ends but the RI pair of Preece and Bulmer got themselves right back into it with a five at the eighth and they led 11-9 by the 11th.

Gradually, the Holgate pair whittled the lead down and when it looked as if the game was going to the wire, Holgate scored four on the 17th end and won the last to win by seal their success.

Meanwhile, there was only frustration for Paul Humphreys’ York RI Amateurs team at bowls' National Championships in Leamington Spa.

On a day of defeat all round for Yorkshire's representatives in the under-25s singles, triples and fours competition, Humphreys' trio booked their place in the first round with a 19-12 victory in the preliminary round over Norfolk - only to be drawn against a Huntingdonshire triple skipped by world number one and current World Singles champion Nick Brett.

Predictably, Huntingdonshire started strongly and established a 14-5 lead before Yorkshire rallied to reduce the deficit to 18-11 with three ends to go. All chances of an unlikely victory were extinguished when Humphreys’ final bowl attempt for six shots on the 16th end missed the jack by a quarter of an inch, leaving Huntingdonshire with two shots and an unassailable lead.