By Andrew Gidley

Budding journalist Sian Gordon is making her own headlines in the world of bowls.

The 22-year-old former Simon Langton Girls School pupil, pictured, who lives in Whitstable, skipped the England triples to win the gold medal with victory over Australia in a warm-up event in New Delhi ahead of the Commonwealth Games in India this year.

The competition was staged to help competitors acclimatise to the conditions and give them a chance to test the artificial greens in preparation for the Games in October, but not everything went according to plan.

Gordon said: "It was an interesting trip, the place was filthy and we were all ill. We did have grave concerns about security earlier in the year, but it was very safe.

"We didn’t go out very much, and didn’t wear anything with England on it so as not to draw attention to ourselves."

Gordon, who begins her trainee journalist course in October, was joined in the team by Sandy Hazell from Maidstone, and Jamie-Lea Winch of Warwickshire, and was due to play two, before the selectors decided to switch her to skip, a move she described as an "accolade".

She is now back playing in Kent and helped Swale win the National Cup last month.