RIVERAIN Outdoor Bowls Club are enjoying a successful season in both national and county competitions. Their ladies won the final of the Top Ten county competition in Hertfordshire by beating Cassiobury. Singles: Joan Welch lost 20-21. Pairs: Val D Cruze

RIVERAIN Outdoor Bowls Club are enjoying a successful season in both national and county competitions.

Their ladies won the final of the Top Ten county competition in Hertfordshire by beating Cassiobury.

Singles: Joan Welch lost 20-21.

Pairs: Val D'Cruze and June Mills won 30-12.

Triples: Iris Shinner, Betty Lee, Aileen Weaver won 21-17.

Rink: Sue Richardson, June Clay, Lesley Ferry, Pat Smith lost 14-16.

Reserve - Barbara Wareham.

With two rinks won by both sides, Riverain won on shot difference 85-66.

The ladies move to the next stage of the national competition with an out-of-county tie against Milton Regis, Kent, during the next fortnight.

Riverain's men are also doing well in their Top Ten, reaching the semis after knocking out Baldock.

Singles: Denny D'Cruze won 21-17.

Pairs: Alan Warren and Des Robinson won 21-7.

Triples: Terry Booth, Brian Mills, Roy Else won 18-17.

Rink: Gordon Chaplin, Ron Wareham, Roy Clay, Dave Jefferies lost 18-29.

The men have also reached the Cairns Cup semis by beating Letchworth Garden City 82-48

Scores (skips only): Alan Warren won 23-7, Dave Jefferies won 28-14, John Welch won 21-15, Roy Else lost 10-12.

They are now playing Datchworth tomorrow (Friday) night.

To complete a good fortnight, the men won their league match against local rivals Hitchin Town 33-31.

Results (skips only): Alan Warren won 19-14, Brian Mills lost 14-17.

Stotfold had a good win against Russell Park (Bedford) in the county league 105-58 to stay in contention at the top.

In the East Beds League, the C team kept in the running with a win against Fairfield in Division One, but the B team lost again, this time to league leaders Maulden B.

The D team pulled their socks up with a win against Henlow C that takes them off the bottom of Division Six.

In friendly matches, Stotfold lost to St Ippolyts by one shot 45-46 but the game against Riverain resulted in a win 100-90.

Whitethorn played two league games - and both the men and ladies suffered defeat.

The ladies played their North Herts Ladies Triples League at Baldock last Wednesday evening.

The teams were Gwen Andrews, Mary Dean and Jan Chatman who won by one shot, and Carol Platten, Trish Elderfield and Angela Fabris who lost by five shots. This gave them two out of the six available points for the match.

The men played their county league at Hitchin Town on Thursday evening - unfortunately both fours lost.

On Saturday, Whitethorn played at home against Letchworth Garden City Conservative Club in a friendly game, the proceeds donated to a bowls charity.

Whitethorn won on one rink and lost on three with the final score 71-81.

The Whitethorn teams were: Gwen Andrews, Norman Clayson, Albie McKlellan and Barry Platten lost 18-20; Carol Conlon, Karen McKlellan, Jan Chatman and Mick Gowlett 12-25; Rose Varney, Pat Clayson, Vic Eames and Ron Adams won 25-13; and Michael Varney, Sandra Gowlett, Anne Gulliver and Ron Chatman lost 16-23.

Baldock ventured across the border to play Henlow Park in what turned out to be an exciting and even match.

The scores fluctuated throughout the game but, at the end, Baldock squeezed home by the narrowest of margins - just one shot.

Scores: Ivor Walker won 20-18; Phil Riley lost 16-22; Michael Wintrip won 25-14; David Davies lost 15-21.

Sunday saw a home mixed match against Hatfield and Baldock won on four of the five rinks.

Scores: Phil Riley won 24-10; John Murison lost 14-29; John Carter won 21-18; Mike Parsons won 21-11; Michael Wintrip won 25-23.

Howard Garden continued their rivalry in a friendly away match against Hitchin Town on Sunday.

At the halfway stage, Hitchin were five shots in front but after tea it all changed and Howard Garden pulled ahead to win on all four rinks 90-67.

Rink one: Janet Taplin, John Pepper, Tony Wood, Doug Fenn won 28-21. Rink two: Brenda Wood, Maureen Smith, Tony Dumont, Tom Macey won 21-14. Rink three: Pauline Kingsmill, Les Smith, Brian Atkinson, Ron Williams won 21-15. Rink four: Bill Spurden, Arthur Thame, Brian Pike won 20-17.

Hitchin Town got their league campaign back on track by inflicting Whitethorn's first defeat of the season (38-33).

The win took Hitchin to the top of their division with just two fixtures left to play and the knockout stages beckoning.

Rink one: G Munge, M Squires, M Wadsworth, S Dawson won 18-15. Rink two: L Hill, R Parker, A Cook, I Thorne won 20-18.

On Saturday, Hitchin hosted a match against Datchworth, ending up losing by 33 shots (69-102). The top rink was Ann Marsden, Reg Allen, Derek Conder and Andy Hill.

Rink one: K Porter, N Webb, D Porter, S Dawson won 19-18. Rink two: B Clark, G Billingham, M Williams, W Harrison lost 11-41. Rink three: A Marsden, R Allen, D Conder, A Hill won 21-20. Rink four: B Marsden, J Dawson, A Cook, I Thorne lost 18-23.

Hitchin then hosted Howard Garden on Sunday, losing by 23 shots (67-90) and on all four rinks.

Rink one: R Allen, P Woods, N Parke, I Page lost 21-28. Rink two: J Parish, J Hill, M Wadsworth, L Lane lost 14-21. Rink three: S Hearne, J Bone, R Parker, A Hill lost 15-21. Rink four: G Corda, G Billingham, G Munge lost 17-20.

Datchworth beat St Ippolyts in the semi-finals of the Stevenage Mixed League knockout competition, with two triples at home and two away, winning through comfortably 80-49.

Other scores: Datchworth Blue 25 Castle Knights 29; Datchworth Gold 40 Standon and Puckeridge 25; Datchworth 112 Hitchin Town 69; Datchworth 123 Sele Farm 146.