CROQUET - NAILSEA Croquet Club held its annual advanced tournament over the weekend.

NAILSEA Croquet Club held its annual advanced tournament over the weekend.

There were eight competitors and they all played each other in a single block. The winner was Don Gaunt (Bear of Rodborough, Stroud) with six wins and the joint runners-up were Marcus Evans (Nailsea) and Lionel Tibble (Northampton).

The hoops were firm if slightly generous, but Lionel was the only competitor to complete a triple peel in the competition, suggesting that the conditions were not easy.

The Somerset team came third in the recent Inter-Counties Championship. The team contained two Nailsea players, Marcus Evans and Kriss Chambers, and Jim Field, a former Nailsea player who now plays for Bath.

With a late withdrawal by one of the members for family reasons, the Somerset team was slightly weaker than last year, when they won the championship.

On Saturday, Nailsea's Intermediate (Central) team lost a close away match to Abbey @ Glastonbury. In the morning, Nailsea took a 2-0 lead with both wins by one on time. The Glastonbury team fought back to win all three of the afternoon singles games including another plus one on time result.

Doubles: Brian and Graham McCausland won +1T (17-16). Singles: David Hunt won +1T (19-18) and lost -1(T) (14-15); Brian McCausland lost -13T (7-20); Graham McCausland lost -6T (12-18).

On Sunday, the Nailsea (SW) team lost 14-6 away to Budleigh Salterton. After four rounds Nailsea were losing 11.5-2.5. They rallied winning three games out of four in the final round of singles, but it was too late as the match had already been lost.

Doubles: Anne Peek and Carl Jones won +3 and drew 6-all; Margaret Robinson and Valerie Jackson lost -3T (3-6); Chris Jackson and Valerie Jackson lost -2. Singles: Chris Jackson lost -4, -1 and -3 and won +3; Anne Peek lost -3, -3 and -3; Carl Jones lost -5, won +2 and lost-4; Margaret Robinson drew 5-all, lost -6 and won +5; Valerie Jackson lost -2T (2-4), -1 and won +3.