Lawn Bowls

Greats including David Bryant and Tony Allcock have represented England in this Commonwealth Games favourite.

Since arriving on the Games' sports programme way back in 1930 England have produced more than 30 champions in lawn bowls. A sport rich in diversity, the Games often feature many world champions from an array of different nations - competitors can be from all age groups and any background.

If ever there was a competitor England could rely upon for medals in lawn bowls it was David Bryant, widely regarded as one of the best ever players. David, never without his trademark pipe, won five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games to go with his impressive haul of four outdoor and nine indoor world titles.

Delhi 2010 proved a great Games for England under the stewardship of former competitor John Bell, himself a former England competitor at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and a British Isles champion, as the nation stormed to medal success in all but one event.

Natalie Melmore overcame world champion Val Smith in a memorable singles final whilst Ellen Falkner and Amy Monkhouse won the women's doubles title. The pair, who have been friends since the age of 17, won by five points against their Malaysian opposition for their gold medal, Amy's third medal in her three Games appearances.

Like the Commonwealth Games themselves, lawn bowls is famed for its friendly atmosphere, but the competition is always intense.

Did you know: Lawn bowls didn't make it on to the sports programme for the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, as there were no greens available on which to play.

The governing body for England’s lawn bowls team is Bowls England.