DORSET’S premier short mat bowls team got their reward for racking up the miles in pursuit of glory as they won the Inter-County Consolation Cup.

The quarter-finals had taken a squad of 20 bowlers to Church Gresley in Derbyshire to play North Yorkshire, a star-studded side boasting current England players.

Dorset started slowly as North Yorkshire took control of the singles, though the pairs ended even to leave the visitors trailing 5-3.

But a rally in the triples and fours gave Dorset a 9-7 lead at the halfway stage.

The afternoon games were all close encounters but good wins in the pairs, triples and fours saw Dorset hold on to win 23-17.

In the semi-finals, the Dorset team travelled to Bromsgrove to meet Oxfordshire.

The game started with both teams well matched and Dorset held a slender 9-7 lead at halfway.

The afternoon session saw Dorset completely dominate their opponents, winning both singles and both pairs matches to hold an unassailable 21-7 advantage before the triples and fours.

Dorset ended up winning 27-13.

A trip to Daventry in Northamptonshire to meet local rivals Somerset was Dorset’s reward in the final.

Somerset had defeated Northamptonshire 27-13 and Surrey 28-12 to reach the showpiece event.

The final started with the lead switching hands but Dorset seemed to hold their nerve the better and they won on six of the eight mats in the morning, three of which were won on the last end.

Dorset led 12-4 at lunch and once again came out strongly in the afternoon to win both singles and one pairs game in the first session to surge into a 22-6 lead.

Somerset had no chance of coming back and Dorset eventually triumphed 28-12.