SWINDON croquet club slipped to a dramatic narrow defeat at Dyffryn in their final league match of the season.

The morning didn’t go the visitors’ way, with the doubles pair of John Small and Neil Morrison not making much headway against the hosts’ Martin Jones and David Scott, with the Cardiff-based outfit winning 22 -13 on time.

However, Swindon’s John Airey made a better first of things. Despite Ian Emmett scoring first, Airey made a break of 10 hoops with his second ball before going on to a convincing 26-6 win.

In the afternoon, Mike Graham regained his form and beat Marian Clancey by 26-22, before Airey sealed a superb 26-7 win against Sarah Melvin.

But Morrison was having an off-day and never really got going against Scott, who triumphed 26 -9.

This meant that the teams had three wins to their name and it was down to the final game to decide the match.

Swindon chairman Small was pitted against Ian Emmett but when time was called, Small was left three hoops behind and was bested 22-19.

  • A TOTAL of £340 was raised by members and friends of Swindon croquet club for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance at the third annual Terry Hunt Charity Shield tournament.

40 members and friends took part in two matches on the August 6 and 20.

Terry organised the first event in 2013 and after his death, the club has held the charity event in his name for the last two years.

After the first leg, the friends and visitors team won 12.5 games to Swindon’s 5.5, with the visitors’ team of Mick Humphries and Jeff Hannath winning three out of three games.

The second leg was again dominated by the visitors, with the duo of Brian Marston and John Hawkins also taking three wins from three games.

Linda Hunt (Terry’s widow) presented visitors captain John Witts with the Terry Hunt Charity Shield to hold until next year following their 30-13 victory.