HAWICK’S Julie Forrest is the new Just World Indoor Ladies Singles champion after beating Alison Merrien in a high-quality final, writes Dominic Picksley.

The 50-year-old, who plays her bowls at Teviotdale, has finally achieved her life goal by being crowned ‘Queen of Potters’ after seeing off the Channel Islander 8-7 9-8.

“I am unbelievably excited, it’s an unreal feeling that is going through my body,” said Forrest.

“It’s like the icing on the cake and nothing else matters now in my bowling career.

“I felt as though I settled well right at the beginning as I thought I had my first bowl in most of the time, but then I lost a four, just like the second set and it was nip and tuck after that."

She claimed the first four ends as she got off to the perfect start and after six ends was 5-2 up, with that advantage being stretched into a 7-3 lead. Merrien, though, hit back with a full house to level the match on the 10th end and it was now game on.

Dropping a four at this time of the first set could have knocked the confidence out of Forrest, but she regrouped and pinched a single to claim the first-half honours.

Just like the first set, Forrest took the first four ends of the second to look poised for a comfortable win, but the Guernsey ace hit back with her second full house of the match to bring her right back into it and it all went down to the final end again, with Forrest needing to produce something special with her final delivery to claim a first-ever win in the tournament.

Taking her time, she opted to go for broke and got the result she wanted and celebrated by leaping down the rink and punching the air in delight.

“I knew I wasn’t going to draw that last bowl,” she revealed of her winning delivery.

“I kept looking at and thinking, is this bowl going in or out as I wasn’t sure.

"The nerves were starting to kick in and it was easier to do a runner. I thought ‘you’re close’ and when I realised I had got it I jumped for joy obviously. It was fab, such a good feeling.”