THREE generations of an Ely bowling family made history last week when Ellen Falkner skipped her mother, Sue Alexander, and her grandmother, Dorothy Bowers, into the third round of the EWBA National Fours Championship. This was the first time that a team

THREE generations of an Ely bowling family made history last week when Ellen Falkner skipped her mother, Sue Alexander, and her grandmother, Dorothy Bowers, into the third round of the EWBA National Fours Championship.

This was the first time that a team fielding three generations of the same family have made it through the demanding county play-offs to claim a place in the final stages of the National Championships.

Margaret Reeder completed the team line-up. Like her team-mates, she plays at the City of Ely Bowls Club.

They were representing Cambridgshire B at the championships in Leamington Spa.

Falkner, 26, is the star player, having won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2002, World Outdoor Championships in 2004, and the World Bowls Tour Women's Indoor Matchplay title in 2005 and 2006.

Alexander, 51, has been a regular at Lemington Spa over the years, but Bowers was delighted to qualify for these championships for the first time - at the age of 76.

The team squeezed through a closely fought battle against Leicestershire B, in the first round to win 22-20, defeated Nottinghamshire B 24-17 in the second round, before they were knocked out by Durham B 22-15 in the third round. Derbyshire B won the competition, defeating Yorksire A, 22-9, in the final.