Essex's short mat bowls team have retained the National Championships for the second successive year.

The county's 'A' side kept the top spot after defeating Kent 'A' 20-16, despite losing on shots by 177 to 185.

Essex began with a strong performance from their two singles' players, who lost just one of their four games. This was also the case with the two pairs.

The triples faltered a little, losing two games, drawing one and winning one.

But the final coup de grace for Kent was delivered by Essex's two four teams, who won three of their games and lost the fourth by a narrow margin.

The day's best performance came from Basildon's Nigel Reed, who came back from 5-12 to snatch a draw. He also lulled his opponent into a false sense of security in his second game, winning 20-17.

Essex are now the best short mat county bowls side in the country and they have an impressive record, only been beaten only once in 19 games over the past two seasons.

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