EDWARD Morris skipped his team of Chris Muir and Steve Gunnell to victory at National Finals Day, beating a Devon triple captained by Lee Phillips from Topsham 18-11. 

The final started off incredibly tight and saw the players tie seven shots after 10 ends.

But the Essex County trio soon found their form, picking nine shots up over the next five ends.

Speaking at the conclusion of the final, Morris said his team were able to work out a tricky green quickly and capitalise early on.

He said: “We had a few more bowls in the head throughout the game than they did, which meant they were having to play quality bowls to win the end, eventually the pressure told on them.”

Lead Chris Muir said the atmosphere throughout the competition had been amazing, and thanked his county for supporting them throughout.

He added: “It has been fantastic, a great experience.”

Morris will be hoping his win on the green will help his bid to become one of the five players selected for the men’s Commonwealth Games Team.

The Essex player is currently one of six men vying for a spot.

He said he hopes th win will help his chances and added: “The Commonwealth Games is about performing under pressure and I would like to think that’s what I did today.

"This is one of the competitions that is closest to the situation seen in the Games.”

The Essex players only just overcame another Devon trio skipped by Sam Tolchard in the semi-final, winning the game on a ditch measure.

The close-fought match saw the game go right down to the wire, with Essex two Steve Gunnell driving the jack into the ditch and his toucher finishing under two feet away in the ditch.

Harry Goodwin replied with an excellent draw to the ditch that held the shot until Morris played the bowl away.

Tolchard responded with another accurate draw, which narrowly lost the measure by half an inch.

The Essex County Bowling Club trio will now go on to represent England at next year’s British Isles Championships.