A TEENAGER'S eye for a strike has won her a place at a major international sports tournament.

Jenny Billingham, 17, of Broompark, near Durham City, has made Great Britain's ten-pin bowling team for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Australia.

Jenny, a student at Durham Sixth Form College, is one of four youngsters who will fly to Bendigo, near Melbourne, next month.

They will stay in a games village with 120 other British teenagers and hundreds of young competitors from around the globe.

Jenny's father, Martin, who will be cheering her on along with mother Val, said: "We only found out a couple of weeks ago that she would be going.

"She is in her A-level year, but this is the opportunity to play for her country in Australia, and we couldn't take that away from her."

Jenny, who is studying Classics, law and sports science, started bowling when she was nine.

"We took her bowling for her birthday and she loved it," said Mr Billingham. "She seemed to have natural talent, so we joined a bowling club and it has gone from there."

This week, the family played host to her team members, Holly Towersey, from London, Gareth Stone, from Leeds, and Sean Crake, from Sheffield.

They were selected from a GB squad of 12 that took part in the European championships in Germany earlier this year.

The quartet spent the half-term holiday together, practising and bonding as a team.

AMF Bowling at the Galleries, in Washington, provided them with free training time and Durham City Council offered free use of the gym at Deerness Leisure Centre.

A city council spokesman said: "We were only too happy to let the team use the Deerness facility free of charge during their get together.

"We wish Jenny and the team well in their competition and hope they bring back medals from their long journey."