Sophie Tolchard wins national singles for second time in four years

Devon’s Sophie Tolchard has won the Women’s National Singles Championship, sponsored by ‘Bowls is Bowls’ at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa.
The 26-year-old defeated Lincolnshire’s Amy Gowshall 21-5 in the final to secure the title for the second time, following her previous success in 2015.
This follows the Kings BC bowler’s success on Thursday in the Women’s National Fours Championship, which ensured that both Tolchard and teammate Natalie Chestney completed the ‘big five’ (Junior Singles, Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours).
Tolchard reached the final after defeating defending champion Kirsty Richards 21-12 in the quarter-final and Nottinghamshire’s Sandra Maguire 21-8 in the semi-final, while Gowshall defeated Sussex’s Rachel Mackriell and Oxfordshire’s Caroline Campion.
Results:
Quarter-Finals:
S Tolchard (Kings, Devon) bt K Richards (Kings Heath, Warks) 21-12;
S Maguire (Forest Oaks, Notts) bt W King (UK Paper Sittingbourne, Kent) match conceded;
A Gowshall (Cleethorpes, Lincs) bt R Mackriell (Eastbourne, S’sex) 21-14;
C Campion (Banbury Central, Oxon) bt J Leake (Poole Park, D’set) 21-16
Semi-Finals:
S Tolchard (Kings, Devon) bt S Maguire (Forest Oaks, Notts) 21-8;
A Gowshall (Cleethorpes, Lincs) bt C Campion (Banbury Central, Oxon) 21-13;
Final:
S Tolchard (Kings, Devon) bt A Gowshall (Cleethorpes, Lincs) 21-5