Jubilant Rayleigh clinched the Essex Area B title in the Travelsphere National Club Bowls Championship with a 3-1 home victory over Ingatestone, taking all but the triples.

J Noakes carded a comfortable 22-6 success in the singles, with the duo of B Fletcher and P Else romping home to a 26-12 win in the pairs.

However, Rayleigh weren't finished and picked up another memorable triumph in the fours as M Newman skipped I Frewin, M Bickford and J Gilbert to a closely contested 18-16 victory.

Ingatestone rallied hard in the triples, winning 20-16.

Ladies toast Open success

Eighty lady players, from 20 teams all over Essex, contested the First ever Wickford Millennium Ladies Open in all-day competition at the Memorial Park.

Competition was organised by Lady Captain Kit Tillett, superbly supported by Ann Johnstone and Sharon Mew.

Prizes were sponsored by Roger Chapman, sales director of Betterview Windows, of Wickford, and he also presented the winners with their cheques at the end.

A sum of more than £800 was raised by the club towards the Pavilion Fund as a result of such a good entry and the occasion will almost certainly become an annual event.

First with eight points plus 30 shots were the Murrayfield Bowls Club represented by Rose Moore, Joan Page, Joyce Waller and skip Marge Skillbeck. Runners-up were Prittlewell Ladies represented by M Benyon, J Halton, D Harsent and skip D French.

Castle Point edge out rivals in Rona

Castle Point had a 60-54 victory over Wickford in the Rona League.

Scores (Castle Point first): P Jolley 14, B Armstrong 17; W Crook 17, K Tillett 10; A Burgess 17, P Butler 15; C Meads 12, K West 12.

Rochford were the next team to go down to Castle Point, losing 84-68.

Scores (Castle Point first): J Kitchener 37, E Overall 7; A Burgess 10, V Brady 23; J Sargant 20, J Tann 19; P Jolley 17, J Staines 19.

In the Basildon League First Division One, Castle Point A edged home 49-46 over W R Gloucester Park A.

Scores (Castle Point first): R Marsden 20, J Smith 18; R Dorrington 12, H Robinson 15; C Johnson 17, V Hennessey 13.

In the Second Division, Ford Basildon triumphed 74-34 at Castle Point B.

Scores (Castle Point first): B Eaton 8, D Hannaford 28; P Morris 16, J Munday 25; T Lewis 10, F Evenett 21.

In Division Three, Castle Point went down 59-47 to Runwell B.

Scores (Castle Point first): B Beasley 16, T Law 11; R Watson 15, J Gardiner 24; L Roy 16, A Dunnage 24.

The C team also went down against Hutton Polars (55-31).

Scores (Castle Point first): J Sargant 120, O Burnett 20; C Meads 9, L Hunt 21; B Hand 12, J Brooks 14.

In Group Six, Castle Point lost 46-36 to Carreras.

Scores (Castle Point first): R Dorrington 16, W O'Connell 26; J Lawrence 20, A Newman 20.

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