Pictured are two young Tenby bowlers, Rhys Day and Katie Dickinson, who both had the honour of representing Wales in the British Isles youth international series at Ebbw Vale this month.

The talented teenagers, who were born on the same day in May 2005, live in Tenby, with Rhys playing for his home town club, while Katie these days plays for Whitland Ladies.

Both regular players with their respective Pembrokeshire and WWLBA county sides and current U18 champions, the pair are also members of Heatherton IBC and first hit the headlines earlier this year, when they were also selected for the Welsh U18s indoor team.

Last Saturday (August 5) and Sunday, they were back together ‘outdoors’, with Rhys making his debut for the 12-strong mixed team (six boys, six girls), while Katie, something of a ‘veteran’, was making her third appearance, having first played as a 14-year-old.

The standard of bowling throughout the weekend was simply excellent (even if the fickle weather wasn’t!), with the relatively inexperienced Welsh team producing some impressive displays in the multi-format event (a combination of pairs, triples and rinks games).

Points were awarded for each discipline and at the end of what was a closely contested series, it was a strong England outfit who just pipped Scotland to top spot and the trophy, with all teams receiving medals to commemorate their participation in the tournament.

Along with all the other rising stars, Rhys and Katie can hold their heads up high as they certainly did their clubs and county proud in an enjoyable and memorable series.

Their delight at representing their country was tinged with some sadness, though, as it was also their final appearance at this age level as, having turned 18 in May, both are now ‘too old’ to qualify for future events.

Nevertheless, Katie will not have too long to wait before she is back in a Wales shirt.

Having gained her first cap for the senior ladies in Scotland last month, she is now looking forward to again representing the Under 25s team in the British Isles junior series at Llandrindod Wells in September.

She is believed to be the first Welsh player to have achieved this remarkable international hat-trick in a single season.

Rhys, meanwhile, is now also a member of the Welsh Junior Academy and it will surely not be long before he, too, is receiving further representative honours.

And, who knows, as their careers continue to flourish, perhaps he and Katie will be back on the same international bowling green, sooner rather than later. Watch this space!

In fact, they won’t be far from each other this Friday either, as they will be taking part in their respective Welsh Under 18s singles competitions at the national finals at Llandrindod Wells. Good luck both.