Carlisle bowlers crowned English champions at national tournament

A team of bowlers from Carlisle have been crowned as champions of England at a national tournament.

The quarter are members at Carlisle Subscription Bowling Club and won the Men's Senior Championship.

David Lee, John Baird, Tom Prescott and Laurence Kelly were victorious across the four-day competition.

Speaking to ITV Border David Lee said: "There were over 1,000 teams that entered the senior fours competition and there are just 746 teams that enter the FA Cup every year."

The team won regional qualifiers to represent Cumbria at the tournament and played a number of matches to lift the trophy.

John Baird said: “It is difficult to describe the feeling, it is the best feeling as a bowler.

"You play bowls to achieve things like this. You don’t think for one minute you can be a national champion.

"We won 10 games to get this championship, including four in Cumbria and then we won six at the national championship across four days."

The quarter are in their 50s, 60s and 70s and have been blown away by the scale of their achievement.

Tom Prescott said: “It is absolutely fantastic, I have been bowling for 16 years and we have won a little bit but nothing on this scale.

"It has been absolutely brilliant. It means the world to me I took John on the green after it and thanked him for all the stuff he has done for me over the years.

"I am not afraid to admit I was emotional, there were tears running down my face and I am 70-years-old."

The team will now go and represent England at the British Championship next summer.

Laurence Kelly: “What we have just won is something out of this world, it is phenomenal.

"I have played with these guys for quite a while but down at the national championships I was so proud to be in that team and I am 75 and I had tears running down my face as well."

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