Melanie Haylett and Tim Stone, from the powerful Acle club, retained the Golden Charter All-England mixed pairs title at Northampton with a display of bowls that left spectators staggered.

Melanie Haylett and Tim Stone, from the powerful Acle club, retained the Golden Charter All-England mixed pairs title at Northampton with a display of bowls that left spectators staggered.

“That's the best I've ever seen,” said one experienced onlooker, after Haylett and Stone had beaten Egham hopefuls Helen Tuohy and Barry Jenkins, 26-21 in a pulsating final.

Haylett and Stone thus became the first pair to win back-to-back titles since Greg Harlow with his mum in 1998/99.

Haylett and Stone were delighted to avenge the shock defeat inflicted on their Norfolk colleagues Suzanne and Mervyn King, who won the title in 2007.

Stone, who has also qualified in the mixed fours and father-and-son pairs, rushed back on to the green to play the Wards from Atherley in round two.

Fatigue took its toll after Stone and his dad David opened up an 8-4 lead, then conceded 20 shots without reply against the Wards, and lost, 24-8.

Vic Moore's Browston Hall quartet and a Norfolk club rink skipped by Charlie Boon, made early exits from the national over 60 fours, beaten respectively by Leicester and Egerton Park respectively.

Acle Indoor Bowls

The World Rankings for this year are out and Lewis Moore is ranked 49th with 10 points and Tim Stone 64th with eight points, writes Brian Grint.

At home to Bowling Club, the Ladies A team were hoping for a win but with the league championship now out of reach it needed inspiration.

Joy Pearson, Jenny Stone and Marie Barker on the penultimate were 11-9 up but finished 11 each. Captain Barbara Meek's block found Carol Pollington in top form and lost 4-16. Geraldine Reeve's block came from 4-11 down after seven ends to 12-11 up after 11, lost the last three ends and finished 12-16. Marion Himpleman's block came from 2-8 down after four ends to eight each at seven, 10 each at 10 and 12 each at 13 but in a grand finale lost 12-14. Result 39-57 (�-7�).

Away to Roundwood the Ladies B team needed three points to confirm promotion to join the A Team in the Premier Division. Result: 55-44 (7-1).

Pam Symes, Rose Yaxley and Jenny Kirby won 18-7. Gladys Gibbs, Dawn Horne and Pam Anthony came went from 5-2 up to 5-13 down but came back and won 14-13. Jean Ryan, Margaret Shields and Anne Drury won 14-9. Ros Myhill's block were 2-11 down after seven ends, came back but lost 9-15.

After 10 ends the Acle girls were 34-41 down but all blocks were involved scoring 21 shots to Bowling Club's three over the final ends. Captain Margaret Rowsell praised all members of the team for a result which confirms promotion.

The Men's A team went to County Arts and needed a good win to keep the league title in view. Result: 98-48 and all seven points. They are now only 2� points behind North Walsham and two points below Gallow but with a game in hand and with the North Walsham game at home to play in early March.

John Marshall, Paul Webb, Simon Elliott and captain George Tubby confirmed their superiority with a 28-4 win. Mark Elliott, Wyn Willimott, Denis Goodley and Tony Dunton were 10-3 up after eight end, 15-7 after 12, scored a five on the 13th and won 27-10.

Will Pitt, Rob Parker, Daniel Noble and Lewis Moore a rink of young pretenders were 16-6 up at 10 ends scored a five on the 14th to go into a 23-8 lead and won 26-20. Roy Himpleman, Bernard Willimott, Jamie Howlett and Robin Norman by 10 ends were 4-8 down and 6-13 after 14 but by 19 ends were 15-13 up and went on to win 17-14.

Great Yarmouth IBC

THE Great Yarmouth Red team ladies entertained Norfolk Tigers and collected seven points with overall scores totalling 76-29 shots.

C King, L Westgate and P Ellis started strongly and were 18-0 by the fifth end. They had conceded only two shots by the 10th end (25-2). The Red trio collected a further five shots to the Tigers one over the final ends. Rink total 30-3 shots.

B Wright, M O'Brien and J Warnes were 7-3 shots on fifth end. Their opponents took the lead and added six more shots by the 10th end, the Reds adding just one (8-9). Over the remaining three ends each team scored two shots with the final score 10-11).

B Payne, B Phillips and J Howlett by the fifth end were 9-2. The ensuing five ends ended 14-6. Rhe Red trio completed the final two ends by taking a further five shots for 19-6.

G Sewell, M Nichols and G Swanston faced a more even start and at five ends the rink score was 5-4 shots. The Red trio gritted their teeth and over the next five ends acquired 11 more shots conceding just one (16-5). Final rink score 17-9.

Browston Hall IBC

Browston Hall held their annual junior and under-25 singles bowls tournament.

The seniors played for the cup, which was won by an on-form Grant Obsen. Second and third places went to Tom Critoph and William Pitt respectively.

Matthew Munro, last year's winner managed, with several very accurate firing shots, to retain the Junior Plate, with Holly Bryenton a very close second and William Jillings third.

Enthusiastic novice bowlers completed for the Shield and it was won by Robert Harrod, aged just eight. Second place went to Laura Holden and third place to Bethany Topping.

Division Five the men's C team at The Brecks lost 81-98 and scored only one point.

M Parker, P Tyrell, J Prest and A Hunter, 2-13 down, scored 13 shots over the next five ends went 15-14 up and won 29-22. C Posner, B Gooch, R Matthews and E Barnes picked up a five on the penultimate end for 23-22 up, but lost two shots on final end to finish 23-24. K Saward 15-28 and M King 14-24.

Angela Kher and Pat Drinkall reached Zone Five finals in the unbadged pairs against Gallow. At 3-6 down at halfway they fought back to 16-17 at the 19th, then lost three shots on the 20th to finish runners-up 17-20.

Saturday and Sunday saw the annual visitors from Allenburys and both days saw six rinks of triples played.