Yorkshire Ladies beat Nottinghamshire for the first time in eight years in bowls’ Atherley Trophy in a nail-biting game at Thanet Road.

No more than four shots separated the teams at the crucial aggregate stages.

Yorkshire led 26-25 after five ends and 56-52 after ten, and eight ends later there was still little in it at 100-98 to the White Rose.

Linda Harrison’s rink had been tied at 9-9 but 12 dropped shots over the following four ends left them in difficulty.

With the other rinks having finished and them just having dropped a single on the 20th end, time ran out and Yorkshire had won 120-117.

Helen Walker’s team had an awful start, trailing 11-1 after only six ends, but they kept going and a run of four winning ends between the 14th and 17th brought them 11 shots and the lead for the first time at 18-15.

They dropped two threes to trail again but responded in excellent fashion with a four and a three to win 25-21.

Carol Instone and her side got off to a great start, leading 10-1 after five ends and 17-5 after ten, but were pegged back in the second half. They dropped seven shots on the last two ends, but won 24-22.

Carol McLean’s team controlled their game from start to finish and won 25-14. Another easy victory came from Joan Mason’s team, who lost only six ends and won 26-7.

The biggest losing rink for Yorkshire came from Sue Allen’s four, who lost 31-8.

Yorkshire now play the winners of the tie between Northumberland and Lancashire.