YORK & District Indoor Bowls Club are English ladies champions after lifting the Yetton Trophy for the fifth time in the competition’s 65-year history.

The Thanet Road team first won the tournament in 1989 at Manchester and Lynda Parker enjoys the unique distinction of appearing in each final victory.

Helen Walker is almost able to match that record, but missed the 2002 triumph due to illness.

York prevailed during two one-sided games at Rugby Thornfield IBC, where but the semi-final and final were staged.

First, the Yetton Trophy’s most successful team ever - Egham - with seven titles were seen off 84-56 and, then, Torquay United were beaten 79-49 to win the national crown.

Against Egham, York got off to a slow start and trailed 16-15 after five ends.

However, they turned that around to establish a three-shot advantage after ten ends when the score stood at 41-38.

They then pulled away by picking up 27 shots, while only dropping ten over the following five ends.

Egham subsequently declared with two ends to play on each rink.

On the separate rinks, Dot Kennelly, Betty Richardson, Melanie Brooke and Linda Harrison went from a lead of 4-2 to 22-7 in the space of ten ends on their way to a magnificent 29-10 victory.

Parker, Laura Clarke, Zoe Eagles and Walker were also took control of their game between the fifth and 15th ends as they went from 4-3 up to 22-8 ahead and finished 24-14 to the good.

A closer game saw Joan Jackson, Maureen Walker, Sheila Turpin and Carol Instone level at 15-15 after 15 ends before pulling away to win 19-16.

Carol Banks, Pauline Armitage, Sue Kirkpatrick and Helen Wood got off to a slow start, meanwhile, when they trailed 9-1 after five ends, but were fighting back when the declaration came as they trailed 16-12.

Final opponents Torquay made harder work of their semi-final before overcoming Norfolk 72-67.

York made a couple of changes for the final with Richardson going in as third to Helen Walker in place of Eagles and Pat Potter taking Richardson`s place in Harrison`s rink.

Getting off to a good start, York led 21-10 after 15 ends but, by the 20th, Torquay had reduced the arrears to 24-18.

The course of the game changed thereafter as York picked up 24 shots while only dropping 12 over the following five ends, then scoring 22 shots while only dropping 14 between the tenth and 15th ends .

Torquay went on to declare with 17 ends still to play, leaving York as emphatic champions.

Wood`s team have been in impressive form throughout the cup run, sweeping aside their opponents with big scores and it was fitting that they should do the same in the final.

They made the most of a good start which saw them leading 8-3 after five ends - an advantage that was extended to 17-4 five ends later and, when the game came to a halt, they were 25-7 in front.

Despite the team change, Harrison`s side matched their amazing semi-final performance, leading 8-2 after five ends and finishing with a 21-9 advantage.

Instone`s team, meanwhile, summoned the same grit as in their earlier match, finding themselves level at 15-15 after 15 ends, before picking up a five then a single as the game petered out 21-15.

Another tight game saw Walker`s side go down 18-12.

In York’s remaining play-off final, Dave Dales’s Gents Pairs’ team recovered from going 3-1 behind to Ian Farrar’s team to charge into a 14-3 lead before securing a 19-5 win.

Phil Herridge’s side were trailing 6-5 to Stuart Smith’s Gents’Triples’ outfit 6-5 after five ends but two fives and a four put them 19-9 ahead after ten ends.

That left Smith`s side chasing the game and they won four of the remaining six ends, but the damage had been done and they lost 22-15.

The Gents Fours’ final was evenly poised at 10-10 after 12 ends before John Stroughair’s side picked up seven shots over three ends, which saw them prevail 17-14.