Bowls clubs had plenty of competitive fixtures to contend with - but there was also time for some fun and bonhomie.

Datchworth kicked the week off with a hugely enjoyable contest, hosting West Sussex Bowls Touring Club.

Based themselves in Bedford for the tour, West Sussex were playing a number of clubs in Herts and Beds with Datch the first of them.

And both teams shared the seven rinks, taking three wins and a draw, although the overall shot count handed the tourists a 122-112 win.

Datchworth’s highest winning Rink was that of Pauline Whybrow, Terry Metcalf, Rob Hazeu and Les Parsley, who restricted their opposition to five winning ends as they ran out 22-10 winners.

The tourist’s highest winning rink for West Sussex belonged to Derek Brockhurst, Paul Chivers, Micheal Keane and Jon Clear.

Two matches in the Stevenage Mixed League ended in defeat.

The first, away to Royston on Saturday, saw Datchworth go down 50-49.

Keith Smith, Ann Edwards, Steve Chamberlain and Les Parsley picked up three shots on the ninth end to take an 8-6 lead and it was one they never lost, increasing it to a 22-8 success.

The other two rinks though belonged to the home side, Royston winning 17-12 and 25-15.

Game two came a day later and was another narrow loss, this one 51-47 at Letchworth Garden City.

Again there was one winning rink for Datchworth, a 20-17 success for Rachel Jones, Maureen Blunt, Neil Mean and Steve Chamberlain, who had to come back from 13-9 down with five ends to play and 17-15 going into the final one.

Howard Carrick, Linda Tyler, Ian Williams and Derek Henley dropped a shot on their final end to lose 17-16 while a six for Letchworth on the penultimate end saw Barbara Williams, Dave Castle, Richard Harper and Peter Hills beaten 17-11.

That latter victory was claimed by Letchworth's Bob Rogan, Lynn Bailey, Christine Ottaway and Haidee Castle while Jill Rogan, Jane Sparkes, Peter Bailey and Tony Sinclair won the nail-biter.

Letchworth's other SML match against Three Horseshoes ended in a 55-42 loss

The only success was the four of Rogan, Dave Collier, Linda Docherty and Sinclair who won 21-15.

The club's first game in the Men’s County League brought a 43-34 win over Howard Gardens, with both rinks successful.

Danny Sims, Robert Proudfoot, Peter Bailey and Christopher Ottaway won 22-17 while Mick Barker, Collier, Dave Haggar and Sinclair won 21-17.

Howard Garden also had two SML matches at the weekend though, winning both.

Riverain were dispatched 67-36 on Saturday before HG returned home to beat Aston 89-40.

Katherine Graham, Sandra Jordan and Carl Gee dominating their rink to win 40-9.

Whitethorn played Knebworth in their SML match, winning on all three rinks for a 71-31 success overall.

The three winning skips were Angie Fabris, Tony Pinchin and Gary Blackbourn.

They also had a victory in the Team Ten competition, beating Northaw & Cuffley 72-68 following a 17-12 win in the triples and draws from the pairs and the fours.

The ladies won too, an extra end bringing a 17-16 success over Baldock in the County Triples.

The men though were beaten in the National Fours, going down 43-35 to Sawbridgeworth after a 17-17 draw on one rink and a 26-18 loss on the other.

A friendly against Sele Farm was lost 68-42.

North Herts Bowls Club played a home match against Norton Common neighbours Letchworth and held a lead at the midway point, before succumbing 53-43.

This was despite a 20-10 win from the rink of Stephen field, Barbara Middleton and Brian Hutchins.

Baldock Town picked up a maximum six points in the SML, winning 67-46 and on all three rinks.

In the County Team 10, they beat Batchwood by three disciplines to one and 82-54 while in the National Tony Alcock event, there was a 46-21 win over Buntingford.

The club's A and B team met in the National Two Fours with the B team winning 37-23.

There was a 62-36 friendly defeat against Co-op Luton while they too hosted the West Sussex tourists, faring no better than Datchworth as they lost 120-79.

The Stevenage Mixed League table has Baldock Town on top having picked up five wins from five and gained a total of 27 points.

Howard Garden are second on 22 while St Ippolyts are third with 11 points from three games.