GRIMSBY bowls star Amy Gowshall is pleased to have recaptured her form at Royal Leamington Spa.
Along with her mum, Christine, she won the new National Family Pairs Championship on Thursday.
The 34-year-old Commonwealth Games pairs champion said: "I know I shouldn't say this, but it was great beating the men."
When the traditional mother and daughter pairs, which the Gowshalls, pictured above, won four times in 13 years between 1997 and 2009, was scrapped in favour of the gender-free Family Pairs, most experts felt that women would no longer get a look-in.
But Amy and Christine powered their way past a succession of all-male combinations – father-and-sons, brothers, and even the odd grandad – and were the only all-female duo to survive to the quarter final stage.
Beating Essex brother-and-sister Selena and Simeon Madgwick, 18-15, they reached the final with a 19-13 win over Bath brothers Gareth and Andy Colebrooke, and took the title with a 17-12 win over Swindon father-and-son Graham and Craig Hatherall.
"I have to say, it was a brilliant few days, and the guys were good sports," said Amy.
"They took it really well, and were a real pleasure to play against."
Yesterday, the sport's most famous mother-and-daughter combination, playing their seventh game in three days, struggled in the third round of the mainstream pairs event and lost 20-13 to Hollie Arundel and Sarvent, from Yorkshire's Selby Brayton club.
On Tuesday, in what is surely her favourite event, Amy embarks on a mission to win the All England Champion of Champions singles title for the eighth time.
