Oxford City & County’s Katherine Hawes admitted she had surprised even herself by her remarkable triumph in the Bowls England Women’s National Championships Champion of Champions singles.

The 40-year-old, who also won the title in 1997, dominated the final at Royal Leamington Spa to blow away six-times winner Amy Monkhouse 21-3.

Monkhouse, a 31-year-old PE teacher from Cleethorpes, will be carrying England’s hopes in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October – but she had no answer to Hawes’ sheer brilliance.

“I really didn’t expect that,” said the City & County ace.

“In fact, it wasn’t actually as easy as the score suggests, and I must say I was always expecting Amy, whom I have known for years, to mount a fightback.”

Hawes had come through a topsy-turvy semi-final 21-18 against Alison Hall (Rowley Lane, Herts).

She led 14-4 after ten ends, but then lost her way as her opponent came to life to lead 18-16 behind after 20 ends.

But, getting her head down over the last few ends, Hawes picked up a single and two doubles to snatch victory.

Hawes had opened her bid with a convincing 21-10 success against Kent’s Barbara Emson (Hesketh Park, Kent) in the quarter-finals.

Leading 9-7 after ten ends, she racked up 12 shots over the next seven ends.

Hawes and City & County clubmate Donna Grant reeled off three impressive wins to reach the last eight in the pairs.

In the first round, they crushed Anne Cunningham and Jessie Knights (Lowestoft Railway, Suffolk) 27-5.

They followed that up with a 20-12 win over Margaret Arscott and Nicci Wilkins (North Tawton, Devon) in round two.

And then they swept aside Lynda Smith and Tracey Powell (Leominster, Herfordshire) 21-11 in the third round.

City & County’s Sue Mayo and Jeanette Berry slipped to a 23-20 defeat against Mollie Bowyer and Jan Dearman (Swaffham Town, Norfolk) in the preliminary round.

OTHER RESULTS

Triples 1st round: S Mayo, M Stacey, J Berry (Oxford City & County) 18, B Parry, M Cobb, V Smith (Tetbury, Gloucs) 14; J Lynch, R Burden, P Ilott (Rover Cowley) 16, S Galloway, A McArthur, P Mattinson (Trapston, Northumberland) 15; S Gilbert, H Moore, J Potter (Didcot) 14, R Wright, L Smith, T Powell (Leominster, Herefordshire) 18. 2nd round: S Mayo, M Stacey, J Berry (Oxford City & County) 18, C Burton, E Spiby, J Bontoft (Shepshed, Leics) 24; J Lynch, R Burden, P Ilott (Rover Cowley) 8, A Hindley, L Trattles, M Griffin (Wilton, Wiltshire) 19.