Pride bounded round Harpenden Bowling Club as four of their players came within a whisker of national success.

John Osborn, Nick Muir, Neil Sharp and Tom Muir were part of the Hertfordshire squad that battled all the way to the final of the Middleton Cup, an inter-county competition, at the home of Bowls England in Royal Leamington Spa.

They had beaten previous winners Leicestershire and Gloucestershire but Berkshire proved too much in the final though, winning 133-95.

Townsend had a four-triples friendly against Shire Park which they won 88-37 with Alan Charran, Gordon Clapworthy and Mike Cowell the top rink, before they beat a touring side from London Welsh with Ian Forster, Robbie Ransted and Peter Waller on top.

Batchwood had success too, in the St Albans & District finals with the team of Sandra Clark, Beryl Birch, Liz Schlatter, Lesley Tutt, Brenda Bennitt, Kate Horner, Jenny Gauthier and Jackie Bell winning on both rinks against Welwyn & District and 49-18 overall.

St Albans' Linda Burfield and Maralyn Pomeroy were unable to cap their fine run in this year's District Aussie Pairs with a win in the final, going down 2-0 in sets to Hatfield.