AS members arrived at Crediton Bowling Club this week they were greeted with a gift of a fixture card.

Clubs throughout Devon have worked hard to ensure that the second half of the season is as unaffected as circumstances allow.

To this end, over 50s friendly fixtures have been arranged, making sure that life will be very busy at Newcombes and around the county.

There has also been a chance for those leagues that have not started to also have competitive matches by using what would have been the second half fixture card. This means that each opponent will only be played once on either a home or away basis.

Those of you who are regular walkers near the Green might think life is quite busy even now as many of the county and national competitions gather pace. Soon the internal competitions will be starting which can be arranged at any time of day or evening to suit the players concerned.

This week’s matches have seen the Crediton pairing of Andrews and Thomas triumph over the Morchard Bishop pairing of Tapp and Cruwys in the Men’s County Pairs.

In the same competition Chris and Ian Bond defeated Alex Simpson and Trevor Newbery, all of Crediton.

In the County Mixed Triples there was a real nip and tuck affair as Marilyn and David Carpenter, teaming up with Ted Staite, defeated Sue Norton, John Robbins and Allan Gibb 14 - 13.

In the same competition Mary Abbott, Michael Tapp and Lloyd Reynolds made light work of defeating their Heavitree hosts 26 - 6.

There was not such good news in the Men’s County Triples as the Crediton team of Gary Ayley, Chris Bond and Rob Paxton lost out to a Triple from Topsham.

In the County Mixed Pairs Roy Andrews and Alison Blackburn defeated Liz Smerdon and Mike Canning putting an end to this correspondents dream of progressing through the rounds! More practice needed before next year.

The EDL Mixed Triples League is up and running with the A team defeating Heavitree on all three rinks, the B team losing by one bowl to Madeira although winning on two rinks, and the C team unfortunately losing all three rinks to Belmont B.

Finally for this week the men’s over 60’s C team got in some much needed practice before their league starts on Wednesday, July 7.

There were two rinks played against a team comprising of ladies over 50’s.

It was an excellent afternoon played in blistering heat with the men doing the chivalrous thing by letting the ladies sense the taste of victory.

Mike Canning