Darlington Railway Athletic foursome Tony Bousfield, Neil Buckley, Peter Edwards and Andrew Kirtland flew the flag for Durham when they reached the national final of the Rinks event at the EBA Championships in Worthing.

Their opponents at the final hurdle were the South Derbyshire Miners Welfare, a rink which included a schoolboy of just 13 years of age and had claimed the scalps of the much-fancied Acton Bridge, skipped by international David Holt.

The Darlington quartet gave a spirited account of themselves, going down by the narrowest of margins 17-16, and had to be commended for the way they battled it out in an enthralling final.

Defeating Gorleston (Norfolk) in the first round, the Railwaymen were 26-16 winners over Harlow (Essex), 23-14 victors over West Whitney (Oxford) and then won their quarter final tie against the 1999 champions Gerrards Cross (Buckinghamshire) with a runaway 26-9 scoreline.

Facing the Shanklin, Isle of Wight, rink in the semi-final Darlington maintained their excellent form with a 21-10 victory.

The Consett Park rink, skipped by Gary Robson, fell at the first hurdle to Clacton.

l On the opening day of the English Bowling Federation National Finals, held at Skegness, Stockton West End BC came within one shot of winning the Durham Centenary Trophy inter-club event.

The Northern Area champions, facing Lincoln St Giles, were in contention throughout the 25 ends game, and with the last of the four rink games playing the final end, Lincoln were two shots in the lead overall.

With the final bowl of the game to be delivered West End held the two shots needed to force an extra end, but the opposing skip, calmness personified, came up with a perfect shot to trail the jack to his own back bowls to take the game 92-89.

There was disappointment, too, for the Durham Ladies team in the Donald Steward Trophy six-rink inter-county final when they were beaten 149-128 by Suffolk.