Congratulations to West Shepton’s short mat bowlers. Captain, Justin Haskins, won the Somerset SMBA Spring Singles Championship Men’s singles title at Huish Episcopi Sports Centre last week, beating many top bowlers along the way.

Also, West Shepton’s Graham Pritchard, and his wife, Yvonne were runners-up, again in the Somerset SMBA County Mixed Pairs Championship, losing out by just one point in a hotly-contested final.

On a wild and windy Wednesday evening, Shepton Mallet’s Men played away to Frome Park in the Mid-Somerset League. This is a Men’s fours format, across four rinks, played to eighteen ends – at the end of which, Park romped home on all rinks, thereby taking maximum points.

The Mallets are struggling this season in all forms of the game, due in part to having to blood a number of newcomers to bowls, who have just joined the club this season. They, nevertheless, are fulfilling their commitments and will benefit from the experience they are getting and will, hopefully, improve with every outing. Park’s winning shots total was 89-39, giving them a points win by 16-0.

On Thursday afternoon, Shepton’s Ladies fared much better, winning their match at Frome Selwood, where they played, away, in the Wild League. The Mallets’ fair sex have a strong tradition in this competition, and are back on track to emulate previous years’ successes, and return this prestigious silverware to their trophy cabinet.

They were on top form, winning on all three rinks, thereby taking maximum points at 12-0, and by a shots total of 52-36.

This win puts them in fourth spot in the table, 28 points behind the leaders Purnell, but with four games in-hand, and, if they win those matches they will, potentially, head the leaderboard. But, it is still early days and they will need to remain on top of their game if they are to be contenders at the final countdown.

On Saturday, the Mallets travelled to Sherborne for a match in the Wessex Mixed Friendly League, on the hottest day of the year. Less than a week earlier, matches were being abandoned at half-time because of the foul, rain-sodden conditions and here we were – roasting in temperatures of 30°C.

Such was the heat that both of the teams’ Captains decided at half-time that if any bowler felt that it was too much for them to bear, then it would be unwise to continue, and the match would be called to a halt at that point, with the scores standing as they were. As it happened, nobody succumbed and the match was completed. Sherborne had dominated proceedings throughout and romped home on three of the four rinks with a shots total of 90-37, thereby taking the points win by 14-2.

West Shepton’s bowlers were on their travels again on Sunday afternoon, when they played at Purnell, again in the WMFL.

On a far more clement afternoon than Saturday’s oppressive heat at Sherborne, the Mallets’ team gave a good account of themselves, but, after quite a tussle, had to concede victory to the home side at the conclusion of a most enjoyable match, played in an exemplary spirit.

The Mallets came close to taking the points, after winning on one rink, drawing on another and losing on two. The eventual shots score was 57-61 to Purnell, with just four shots separating the teams at the finish, giving them a points win by 13-3.

Terry Blackmore