MELANIE Haylett and Tim Stone of the Acle Indoor Bowls Club won the English National Mixed Pairs title at the recent National Championships played at Northampton.

MELANIE Haylett and Tim Stone of the Acle Indoor Bowls Club won the English National Mixed Pairs title at the recent National Championships played at Northampton.

Both are stars in their own right, Tim notching up a record-breaking eighth singles title at the Acle club and Melanie winning the ladies' singles on five occasions, so it was inevitable that when the two combined they would produce some results.

Having qualified from Norfolk their first match was against Chelmsford, who they defeated 27-12. They then faced fellow Norfolk pair and reigning mixed pairs champions Suzanne and Mervyn King. Mervyn was also the 2007 World Singles Champion but the Acle pair were unfazed and recorded a 22-16 win.

This put them into the quarter-finals against a pair from Tonbridge who they defeated 21-15. Now well into their stride they disposed of their semi-final opponents from Boston with a comfortable 23-9 scoreline and went into the final against a Nottingham couple who could not hold them, with the Acle pair taking the national title 23-14.

As if this was not enough they now have the opportunity of representing England in the World Championships in 2009.

The Acle club are over the moon at recording another national title, previous ones were the National U25s Club title which Tim played in and the Ladies Federation National Singles title won by Molly Auld, who with partner Denis Goodley will endeavour to mirror Tim and Melanie's success by winning the Federation Mixed Pairs title at Newark in April.