Kings youngsters Sam Tolchard and Natalie Melmore turned on an appropriately right royal display of bowls to help England to a confidence- boosting victory over a North Select at Wigton in Cumbria last weekend.

Tolchard and Melmore, who are both 21, have been entrusted with the men's and women's singles berths in next month's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, and they showed why they are so highly regarded in a tough challenge match.

Although she faltered in her opening match against Durham's Teresa Pearson, who beat her in straight sets on Saturday morning, Melmore bounced back to win convincingly in her second meeting with Pearson, dismissing her 8-9, 13-2, 3-2.

On Sunday, Melmore got everything right. Facing another highly experienced Durham player, former England champion Ann Anderson, she wriggled through 9-6, 2-9, 2-1, then stormed to an irresistible 14-0, 8-2 victory.

Tolchard found his touch from the start, beating talented Lancastrian Chris Gale 11-7, 10-2 and 7-4, 9-5, before facing former Welsh International Open champion Rob Chisholm, from Northumberland.

The 24-year-old Chisholm proved a worthy opponent, but Tolchard, showing maturity beyond his years, got home 8-5, 7-7 and 7-9, 10-3, 5-0.

The outstanding success of England's 12-strong Commonwealth Games team in winning 22 out of 24 matches over the weekend left performance director John Bell with a broad smile on his face.

"That was a totally professional performance from the whole team, and it will fill them with confidence for their trip to India, which is now only a couple of weeks away," said Bell.

With three of the Bowls Devon women's finals being played early, because Natalie Melmore was on England duty in Cumbria, the toast at Plymouth Sir Francis Drake on Sunday was to 'absent friends'.

Sophie Tolchard, whose brother Sam was also doing his bit for England in Wigton, had lost to Melmore in the Under- 25 singles final, but teamed up with Melmore and Ruth Rogers to win the triples title.

On Sunday, the Kings teenager defeated Newton Abbot's Terri Kennard 15-10 in the two-wood singles final, and was delighted with her haul of two county titles and a silver medal.

Liz Smerdon, who pulled off a shock 21-17 win over new England champion Melmore in the re-arranged singles final last week, also achieved a notable double, partnering her Madeira club-mate Sue Harriott to the pairs title.

Expecting tough opposition from North Tawton's formidable pairing of Margaret Arscott and Nikki Wilkins, Smerdon and Harriott sped to a surprisingly straightforward 25-11 final victory.

Meanwhile, the fours was a triumph for Torbay Country Club quartet Val Davies, Yvonne Blackler, Jenny Corps and Beryl Leach, who beat Chris Slade, Gillian Callaghan, Margaret Sampson and Christina Woollacott, from Tiverton West End, 30-16.

Linda Jenkins was awarded the Over-55 singles title when her opponent Muriel Scott, from North Tawton, conceded without delivering a bowl, while Janet Sherwood, from Morchard Bishop, swept to a 21-9 win over Seaton's Angela Mayhew in the final of the unbadged singles.

Maggie Dance and Celia Mangeng, from Budleigh Salterton, defeated Barnstaple's Dee Newland and Liz Purdon from Ilfracombe, 26-20 in the final of the Over-55 pairs. The new champions in the Over-70 category are Monica Morrison and Monica Hancock, from Torbay Country Club, who beat Madeira's Kate Andrews and Eileen Bagley 17-12.