A Godmanchester pensioner is the proud owner of a national sporting title.

David Peak won the Four-Bowl Senior Singles crown when representing Huntingdonshire at the English Bowling Federation (EBF) Indoor Finals at Newark.

The 69-year-old, who plays locally for the Hemingfords club, beat Norfolk opponent Barnie Wymer 21-19 in a marathon final, which lasted for almost three hours.

Peak said: “I’ve been playing bowls for more than 20 years and this is very much a career highlight.

“I’m always hopeful of playing well and felt reasonably confident. That turned out to be justified and I’m very pleased to have won.”

Peak received a first-round bye before beating Malcolm Grimwood of North Essex 21-18 in the quarter-finals.

A comprehensive 21-7 success over Derbyshire’s Dave Redfern in the semi-final followed before his narrow final triumph.

Peak also reached the semi-finals of the Mixed Pairs along with Kathy Snitch of Godmanchester where they bowed out to a young Lincolnshire duo.

Hunts were only a whisker away from another national crown as Ian Swannell (Somersham), Lindsey Swannell (Warboys) and Lewis Baker (Warboys) were beaten in the Men’s Rinks final.

The local trio went down 20-14 to Northants after breezing into the showpiece match with comprehensive victories over North Cambs, Norfolk and North Essex.

Steve Farrent (Huntingdon) was beaten in the opening round of the Men’s Singles by Ian McIntosh of Durham while Rebecca Moorbey (St Neots) was an early casualty in the Under 25 Singles when going down to eventual winner Daniel Seabourne from Norfolk.

The Warboys duo of Tom Swannell and Ed Elmore also fell to the champions from Suffolk in the second round of the Men’s Pairs. They had beaten Nottinghamshire 17-16 in an opening round thriller.

Elmore was also part of the Mixed Rinks team with Angela Kenny (Buckden) and Lee Swannell (Warboys) that suffered a second-round exit at the hands of Northants.

There was little to shout about for the local ladies in Newark. Heather McKillop (Houghto0n & Wyton) went out in the second round of the Women’s Singles after receiving a bye in the opening round.

Jane Baldwin (St Ives) lost out to eventual winner Chris Wadlow of North Cambs in the Women’s Senior Singles while Fenstanton duo Pat Porter and Janice White went out to a Derbyshire pair including England international Jean Baker in the second round of the Women’s Pairs.

Snitch, Edith Gibbard (Huntingdon) and Nicky Verlander (Huntingdon) fell at the first hurdle in the Women’s Rinks against Northants.