Dartmouth's experience at this year's Bowls England ladies' championships at Royal Leamington Spa was short and sweet writes Tony Atkins.

In the first round of the triples, Elaine French, Val Gregory and Jean Townsend beat Bolton's Christine Hardman, Charlotte Aspinall and Susan Kitson (Lancs) 21-11 but in the second round they lost out to Northamptonshire's Margaret Watts, Rebecca Wigfield and Sharon Hall from the Desborough club 21-13.

Given the enormous strength in depth in Devon and with the county having the reigning England and British champions in Sophie Tolchard, Ruth Rogers and Natalie Melmore, it was a fine achievement by the Dartmouth trio to reach the national finals.

Despite their second round loss, Jean Townsend and her rink will get the chance to win the Devon title when they play fellow national qualifiers Tolchard, Rogers and Melmore at all-finals day at Marldon on September 8.

It will be a tough ask for Townsend and Co against a triple that will be going for their fourth successive county title.

At the Nationals Commonwealth champion Melmore brushed aside Brenda Bowyer (Essex) 30-2 after 15 ends before squeezing past Durham's Teresa Pearson, Trudy Kitto and Gill Gones (Consett Park BC) 17-16 in the second round.

In the Men's M-Devon League, Dartmouth beat Teignmouth Den 109-55 to claim a maximum 14 points to lie currently in fifth place in division two that is headed by Stoke Fleming.