SWINDON West End fell at the final hurdle in their bid to win the annual Swindon Bowls Club Floodlight Tournament sponsored by AC Watson & Son Building Contractors and Coors, which was played all last week on their Shrivenham Road green.

The team of four competing under the guise of Maybe This or That were unbeaten until the final, winning all four of their round robin games and their semi-final.

But the West End quartet of Mike Clifton, Alan Norgrove, Brian Stone and Alan Brewer then met their match in the final, being blitzed 21-3 by last year’s runners-up Tetbury.

West End still had the consolation of picking-up the runners-up prize of £100 for their sterling efforts all week.

Tetbury led 13-2 after five ends before powering away in the closing stages.

The two semi-finals had earlier both finished 13-8.

Tetbury dropped a three on end seven to trail North End 6-5 but hit straight back and eventually won at 12 ends.

In the other, West End led High Rollers 7-3 after six ends but were pulled back to 7-7. However, they upped the tempo to pull away again to book a place in the final.

Twelve teams entered the tournament, drawing their own starting positions and played four matches over 18 ends or two hours from Monday to Thursday.

Three points were awarded for a win and one for a draw with shot difference if necessary deciding the final league table positions with the top four advancing to the semis.

Sponsor Andy Watson presented the prize winners’ cheques, while Swindon club president Bob Hiles presented the perpetual trophy to Tetbury captain Pete Stinchcombe.

Organiser Jim O’Leary said: “It was another very successful and well supported tournament and thankfully the weather was kind to us this year, which was extremely helpful.

“This floodlight tournament has become an established date in the local bowls calendar in late September and we will certainly be back again next year running it once more.”