IT was a disappointing final week of the winter season for Chawton Park, with first-game defeats at the National Championships held at Melton Mowbray.

First up, the Chawton triple of Dick Holden, Mark Fyfield and skip Adam White were up against Nathan Farrant, Simon Broom and skip (and current international) Ian Bond of Devon club Exonia.

Chawton started strongly and led 9-0 after two ends and then 18-8 past the halfway mark. But Exonia changed tactics, reducing the jack length to the minimum, and with the pace of the green quickening, began to chip away at Chawton’s lead.

By 15 ends, the advantage was down to 20-16 and the 16th end was Chawton’s worst of the match as they dropped four.

White drew the shot with his last wood and it was advantage Chawton going into the 18th and last end. They held shot, but Bond played an attacking bowl with his second and a lucky slice on the jack saw Exonia lying two shots and in a game-winning position.

Both skips had one wood remaining. White drew a measure for shot and then Bond showed his international experience by drawing the shot with the last bowl of the match and the measure for a second shot also went against Chawton.

There was further anguish for Adam White as he took on Tom Smith (Erewash IBC) in the National Singles. The Chawton man made a disastrous start and trailed 9-0 before getting his game together. He then skilfully whittled the deficit down to 18-16, but a relieved Smith finally edged home 21-16.

No national honours then for Chawton, but three visits to the National Finals and three County Finals, two of them successful, cannot be a bad return for the Hampshire club.

Chawton Park’s winter season closed with the visit of the 47-strong Browston Hall IBC touring party from Norfolk. Chawton won easily, 120-68.