DINGESTOW secured a third straight Monmouthshire Short Mat Bowls Association League title last week, when there were no less than three 10-0 wins.

Second-placed Caerwent might have hoped to narrow the gap at the top with their 10-0 win against Little Mill, comfortably winning three mats and getting over the line by just two shots in the remaining pairs.

However, any hope of going to the leaders next week with a chance of winning the title were dashed as the defending champions recorded their own 10-0 win, at home against Usk.

Two comfortable wins in the triples and all appeared to be going to plan for Dingestow.

The pairs proved a different proposition though, and after eight of the 15 ends played, both Usk pairs seemed quite at home holding the home side to 6-6 in one match and 8-8 in the other.

Fortunately for the leaders, both home pairs managed to edge into the lead and hold on to win by four shots and two shots, leaving an uncatchable 11-point gap at the top, so Dingestow can relax and enjoy entertaining Caerwent next week.

Devauden completed the “home win hat-trick” with their victory over Mathern.

Again the home side looked comfortable in three of the four matches but hung on to win by just one shot in one of the triples matches.

Triples was the theme on Saturday as teams met at two venues to play the group stages of the Spring Triples competition.

Stiff competition in many of the pool matches resulted in three group winners: Caldicot 2, Magor 2 and Caerwent who will be joined in the semi-finals by Dingestow 1 who finished tied with Caerwent on 6 points.

The two were also tied on shots, having scored 30 each, and were only separated by the number of ends won.