Double Atlantic glory for UK

England and Wales have won the team honours at this year's Atlantic Championships. The event, played at Wanderers Bowls Club in Johannesburg, South Africa , saw England snatch

England and Wales have won the team honours at this year's Atlantic Championships.

The event, played at Wanderers Bowls Club in Johannesburg, South Africa, saw England snatch the men's team title, with the ladies' prize claimed by Wales.

The men's title went right down to the wire as England narrowly pipped to the host nation to the crown, despite losing three gold medal matches to the Springboks.

Defeats in the Singles, Triples and Fours appeared to have consigned England to second spot overall behind South Africa.

However, the hosts' quarter-final exit in the Pairs, combined with England reaching the semi-finals, allowed the English side to draw level on points overall, taking the title on shots difference alone. Wales, meantime, won the Pairs gold.

In the ladies' event, Wales won gold in the Triples and Fours, silver in the Singles and bronze in the Pairs to take the women's title at a canter.

They finished ahead of England, with South Africa third, Scotland, who claimed the Pairs, fourth and Israel fifth.

Israel's impressive showing in this year's event, meantime, helped secure them qualification into the 2010 World Bowls in Adelaide. Ruthie Gilor was the country's heroine, claiming gold in the Singles.

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