Axminster’s outdoor bowlers continued their excellent early season form with three good wins, but they did suffer a first defeat of the campaign when the Over-60s League team were beaten at Crediton, writes David Harris.

The latest period got underway with a 91-41 home success over Culm Vale with the winning trios being Mike Mellor, Ann Clayton, and James Windsor (37-3), Morrison Brown, John Hill, and George Mabon (32-11), and Valerie Mellor, Nigel Bond, and David Harris (15-11).

Next up was a visit from touring side West Sussex for what proved to be a thrilling match, which Axminster eventually won by a margin of 12 shots at 97-85.

The successful home rinks were the ones of Mike Mellor, Alan Foster, Ann Burn, and Nigel Bond (22-13), Morrison Brown, Tony Cable, David Harris, and Adrian Attrell (21-19) and Philippa White, Margaret Brown, Sue Bond, and Alfie Day (18-14), whilst Daphne Ryan, Pam Clark, John Hill, and Brian Clark had a creditable tie (17-17).

That Over-60s defeat at Crediton was by a score of 38 shots to 28 and there were no winners for the travelling bowlers. However, they bounced back extremely well to defeat visiting Chardstock in their next league game, winning the match 46-16 with wins on both rinks; John Ellis, David Harris, and Doug Looskan (23-7) and John Hill, George Mabon, and Bob Sherborne (23-9).