TEENAGE sensation Claire Spreadbury has sent shockwaves through her sport after becoming the Ladies Under-25 World Indoor Bowls Champion.
The Loddon Vale bowler was crowned champion despite being the youngest player, at just 15, in the Ladies event held at Grainville, Jersey.
Spreadbury, a pupil at Aldworth Science College, beat Australian Lindsay Armitage in a tense final on Sunday afternoon which went to a sudden death final end after the pair had each won one set in the match.
The Kempshott-based player raced to a 10-0 lead in the first set, eventually winning it 10-5, but Armitage, who is 20, hit back to win the next set 8-7.
The tension grew as the title was decided on a best-of-three tie-break with only the winning wood counting each time.
The Australian drew first blood, but the Basingstoke teenager kept her nerve to win the next end and, when Armitage's final wood of the match fell short in the following end, Spreadbury was the world champion.
Still basking in her success and beaming from ear to ear, she told The Gazette: "I just can't get over the feeling of being world champion. It was definitely an unbelievable moment when I won and then when I picked up the trophy."
Spreadbury added: "Once I got to the final, I was there to win it and when she led 7-0 in the second set I knew I had to peg her back, even if she was playing short jacks I didn't like.
"In the final end of the tie break, I made sure it was a long jack and that gave me the edge."
Proud parents Phil and Sally Spreadbury were there to witness their daughter's finest moment. Spreadbury's dad said: "It was just amazing and I am so happy for her. She puts in a lot of hard work and I must say that the school have been very supportive."
He added: "We were bowling every wood in the final and we won't forget the moment she picked up the trophy."
Spreadbury is one of more than 20 juniors who play at the Loddon Vale Club on the West Ham Leisure Park - helping to dispel the myth that the game is only for old people. She said: "I really enjoy the game, and moments like the world title victory make it extra special."
The young star produced a brilliant week of bowling in Jersey, dropping just one set and winning her group on her way to the final.
Spreadbury then saw off Scotland's Lynsey Nesbett 8-2, 5-4 and then beat Erda Firdayu from Malaysia in the semi-final 9-9, 11-5.
The next date in Spreadbury's busy calendar is an England under-25 trial at the end of the month in Solihull, where she will be trying to book a place in the National Championship finals which will be held at Loddon Vale, once again, in February.
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