A player from Harpenden Bowling Club has had the honour of pulling on an England shirt in an international.

Pauline Taylor was part of the national team that played and won the inaugural Ladies British Isles Short Mat Championships.

With outdoor bowling now concluded, the flourishing game of short mat bowls keeps players occupied.

The game, played on a mat measuring between 40 and 45 feet in length and six feet wide and with a block halfway down to prevent a straight delivery, now has 750 clubs affiliated and around 14,000 players registered with the English Short Mat Bowling Association.

The tournament was held at Melton Mowbray with 16 players competing over four rinks.

In the International event, 16 players competed over four rinks and England were runners up to Ireland.

However, in the Championship competition where it was teams of singles, pairs, triples and fours, a back and forth battle saw England fours take the win to clinch the first title.