CITY of Ely bowler Ellen Falkner and team-mate Amy Monkhouse were on a high this week after they won a gold medal by beating Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games in India.

CITY of Ely bowler Ellen Falkner and team-mate Amy Monkhouse were on a high this week after they won a gold medal by beating Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games in India.

Falkner and Monkhouse, who have been friends since they were 17, claimed gold by 5-2 in a tie-break after taking the first set 12-6 and then losing the second 5-7 to Malaysian duo Nor Ismail and Zuraini Khalid.

Earlier in the evening they had come through an epic semi-final, defeating Australia 8-7 in the second set after drawing the first 10-10.

“To come out here, to play together as friends and to win is something else,” said Falkner, 31.

“In the second set it seemed to be a different game as the Malaysians came back into it, but we came through. I am over the moon.”

Monkhouse, a 31-year-old teacher from Grimsby, made history by becoming the first woman to earn the right to play against male opponents in the World Indoor Singles tournament in Norfolk.

“I am over the moon too,” she said. “It’s hard to explain. Perhaps it was destiny after just pipping it in our quarter-final and then playing that huge match against Australia.”