Tenby Bowling Club duo, Paul Diment and Patrick Currie have been celebrating this week after winning one of the country's top bowling titles.

Paul and Pat won the Welsh Bowling Association's four-wood pairs competition at the national finals held in Llandrindod Wells last week.

The pair, who have brought the magnificent Jack Anslow Memorial Shield back to the Sutton Street club for the first time ever, qualified for the Welsh stage of the competition after being crowned county champions last month.

At county finals day in July, Paul and Pat became the first bowlers from Tenby for 39 years to win the Pembrokeshire County Bowling Association pairs, the last winners being Paul's grandfather, the late Bob Diment and the late Martin Mulligan, who were successful in 1963.

Playing with immaculate line and length, Paul, who played lead backed up by Pat as skip, beat off the challenge of strong opposition, including several international bowlers, on the way to Friday's final; none more so than in the first round when they beat Jim Hoskins and Arthur Hunter, of Bridgend, 20-14, and in the quarter-finals when they came from behind to beat last year's runners-up, Penhill's Ryan Mountstephen and Neil Collett 22-21 on a tense extra end.

In the semi-finals, Paul, a financial consultant with Western Finance Group based at Cardiff Bay, and Pat, a ceramic tiler by trade, booked their ticket for the final when they knocked out Colin Young and Ieuan Terry, of Tick Tock, 20-14, in a four-hour tussle.

And after only a short break, it was back to the Rock Park green for the final.

In a closer game than the score may initially suggest, Paul and Pat defeated local hopes Doug Rogers and Ken Price, of Llandrindod Wells, 21-13.

With never more than one or two shots separating the two pairs, the Tenby duo were just two ahead on the 19th end, but a vital five on the 20th really sealed their win.

With the score 20-13 in Tenby's favour, suddenly the title was within their grasp and with a single on the last end they ran out victors by eight shots.

Their success comes just two years after Paul and Pat, together with clubmates Peter Day and Andrew Muskett, became the first bowlers from Pembrokeshire to win the British Isles rink championship.

After lifting the Welsh fours title the summer before, the quartet went on to compete at the international series held in Llandrindod Wells in 2000.

Now Paul and Pat will be representing not only their club and county, but also their country again next year at the international series in Scotland.

"To win three top titles within three years is an achievement we are extremely proud of," said Pat this week.

"We are so pleased to bring yet another major trophy back to Tenby and Pembrokeshire; it really has been an amazing few years and we are just so delighted."

Thirty-year-old Paul, who has been capped at junior and senior international level, also represented Pembrokeshire in the singles.

After chalking up a comfortable 21-9 win over Bernie Richards, of Llaneilli, Paul eventually bowed out in the quarter-finals 21-13 to the eventual winner, John K. Evans, of Rhymney, Gwent.

Other Tenby bowlers competing in last week's championships were John Baggott, who played in both the over 60s singles and the over 60 pairs, in which he was partnered by Ray Holly, while Merv Brace, Macky Brace and Tony Cummings, of neighbouring Saundersfoot, played in the triples, as did their young club-mate Gareth Hughes in the junior singles.