Townsend advanced to the semi-finals of the Top Club competition after a win at Bishop’s Stortford.

The two singles were first to finish, with John Godman narrowly prevailing 15-13 in his two wood match before Andrew Briden clinched a 21-11 victory in the other discipline.

The triples, David Day, Dave Houghton and Simon Gilbert, found the going to their liking and their opposite numbers gave up the struggle at 14 ends with the score at 26-6. The pairs, Peter Thomson and Danny Macro, were seldom troubled on their rink, and were winning 26-6 when the hosts conceded.

The fours, featuring Alfie Long, Jason Hall, Peter Armstrong and skip Gary West, had a much tighter fight on their hands but were also leading 22-21 at the close as they claimed a 5-0 win overall.

In the quarter finals of the top ten competition, Buntingford came to visit for the second time in ten days. Houghton was never troubled in the singles as he cruised to a 21-10 victory. The triples, led by debutant Danny Macro, and comprising West and skip Gilbert, eventually won 17-13 and the overall 79-61 success was enough to see Townsend into another semi-final.

Hatfield came visiting in midweek, and the match was very tight at the half-way stage with one rink to each side and two tied.

The second half belonged in the main to the hosts, in particular the top rink of Richard Morgan, Wally Witham, Tony Izzard and Laurie Rackham, who won by 28 shots to 14.

Two other Townsend rinks won – much more narrowly – these being that of David Carter, John Oakey, Les Perkins and Gordon Williamson; and David Day, Ron Seymour, Alan Quested and Thomson, making the final score 3-1 in favour of Townsend and by 74 shots to 61.

The final home rink, although narrowly defeated, made a spirited comeback from a 15-4 half-time deficit to score ten shots in the final five ends. But despite the fightback the side fell short by four shots. The rink, which was led by Roger Potter, also featured Ian Forster, Robbie Ransted and Bob Padgett.

In the Friday night triples against Harpenden, Townsend recorded home and away victories. The host team of Barry Robinson, Robbie Ransted and Mike Cowell won 21-14 and the away trio, of Carl Robinson, Rackham and skip Williamson, were 22-19 winners.