OAKLEY Bowling Club celebrated their 25th anniversary last week with games against the English men's and women's bowling associations.

The national men's team, led by president Wayne Manley, was drawn from 14 counties and, on a warm afternoon with a fast green, Oakley struggled from the beginning to stay with their opponents.

The hosts eventually lost 137-107 on shots, the highlights for Oakley being the winning rinks skipped by Ted Brown and Phil Richardson and president Spencer Kerley's honourable draw with the EBA president.

If the men had thought they were up against it, then the ladies had a mountain to climb.

The English women arrived with one of the strongest teams they have fielded in anniversary games against clubs. Oakley were never going to win against a team containing Sue Harriott, the newly-crowned British Isles singles champion, Mary Price, the former world indoor champion and Commonwealth Games champion Wendy Line, as well as four other international players.

Oakley put up a good fight and at the three-quarter stage trailed by only 15 shots. Eventually, however, the greater experience and skills of the England team shone through and England emerged victors by 153-100 on shots.

Oakley's consolation was that they had two winning rinks - skipped by Pearl Richardson and Kay Kerley - and they inflicted on Harriott, her first defeat since becoming British Isles champion.