ROYAL Wootton Bassett hosted a special game against Disability Bowls England (DBE) on their Tanners Close green.

They fielded five triples rinks against a top-quality DBE side, with the game being played over 18 ends or two-and-a-half hours.

The visitors, compromising mostly of partially sighted bowlers, were drawn from players from London, the Home counties and the West Country, as well as Leominster in Herefordshire.

It also contained two world champions, both from Yeovil, in skip Ron Homer (B2 category) and lead Terry Matthews (B4 category).

The DBE side was supplemented by Royal Wootton Bassett member Jeannette Maisey, a partially sighted bowler, who was making her debut for the DBE side and was involved in the organisation of the special game.

Strings were placed on all of the rinks to aid the visiting bowlers and special scorecards were used to assist the markers in calling instructions and wood placings back to the bowlers on the mat.

The match scores across the board were close throughout, with Bassett leading 23-22 at five ends but trailing DBE 46-40 at 10 and 72-71 at 15.

However, in the last few ends that were played within the time allowance, the host picked up eight shots and only conceded one to claim a narrow 79-73 overall victory, taking the rink honours 3-2.

Bassett’s rink was the trio of Michael Jones, Richard Ball and skip Terry Gammage, who recorded a 14-shot success in a 26-12 victory whilst DBE’s highest triple was the all-Yeovil trio of Terry Matthews, Mo Perry and Ron Homer, who racked up a 15-shot success in a 23-8 win.

“It was a great day,” said Bassett chairman Ian Tanner. “We were blessed with good weather, excellent company, and everyone on and off the green seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“The day was a tremendous success and subject to being able to fit it into the diary again, we would be very pleased to welcome Disability Bowls England back to our club at Royal Wootton Bassett again next year.”

RESULTS Rink 1: Sue Reeve, Dave Comlay & Richard Walton beat Sue Rogers, Janet Gehrig & George Baker (all Chesham Pioneers) 15-11 (15 ends); Rink 2: Dodie Fitzwilliam, Geoff Stinchcombe & Phil Hughes lost to Terry Matthews, Mo Perry & Ron Homer (all Yeovil) 8-23 (16 ends); Rink 3: Beryl Kingscote, Alex Letch & Graham Richards beat Bill James (Leominster), Jeannette Maisey (RW Bassett) & Christine Linegar (Taunton) 18-11 (15 ends); Rink 4: Michael Jones, Richard Ball & Terry Gammage beat Eric Shackleford, Ian Robertson & Tessa Furzeman (all Bridgwater) 26-12 (18 ends); Rink 5: Jools Onslow, Geoff Busby & Keith Joplin lost to Marjorie Convey (West Harrow), Mary Hynes (Chesham Pioneers) & Bob Rossiter (Weston-super-Mare) 12-16 (17 ends).