ROYAL Wootton Bassett men fell at the last hurdle in their quest for another Bowls England national title this season.

They reached the last two in the men’s Top Club championship at Royal Leamington Spa last weekend, but missed out on adding to the family pairs title won by Gary Morphet and his son Craig six weeks earlier when going down 4-1 in the top club final to Kings BC, Torquay, Devon.

Bassett lost in four of the five disciplines, two and four wood singles, pairs and triples with their lone success coming in the fours with the quartet of Kyle Anderson, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin and skip Steve Snell recording a 16-14 victory.

This maintained the foursomes proud unbeaten record over the two-days of competition having also won in the quarter and semi-finals.

On the Saturday afternoon in the quarter-finals Bassett just edged past Cheltenham but needed an extra end to claim a 3-2 victory.

They won the two wood singles and triples but lost the four wood singles and pairs to leave the match poised at 2-2 with just the fours to finish.

Steve Snell’s quartet after trailing 14-7 at 12 ends had hit back to level at 16-16 after 18 ends but then dropped two singles to trail 18-16 going into the last end.

But they grabbed a two to tie the game 18-18 and send the overall match into a deciding end which they duly won to give Bassett a 19-18 win and a last gasp 3-2 success over Cheltenham and a semi-final spot on Sunday morning against Yorkshire side Nafferton.

After their tense quarter-final Bassett cruised past Nafferton 4-1 in the semis winning on four of the five disciplines.

The only reverse came in the pairs match to book a place in the Sunday afternoon final against Kings one of the leading men’s clubs in England.

It proved to be one round too many but Bassett can look back with pride on a splendid 2016 outdoor bowls season.

They won the family pairs national title, finished as runners-up in the Top Club and national mixed fours as well as lifting the top two Wiltshire men’s competitions - Four Rink League and Tourist Trophy titles.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals: Royal Wootton Bassett (Wilts) beat Cheltenham (Glos) 3-2 (extra end); Hove & Kingsway (Sussex) lost to Nafferton (Yorks) 1-4; Wanstead Central (Essex) lost to Kings BC (Torquay, Devon) 1-4; West Ealing (Middx) lost to Rugby (Warks) 0-5.

Semi-finals: Royal Wootton Bassett beat Nafferton 4-1; Kings beat Rugby 3-2.

FINAL: Royal Wootton Bassett v Kings, Torquay, Devon.

Two Wood Singles: Kevin Embling lost to Louis Ridout 12-15.

Four Wood Singles: Neil Smith lost to Sam Tolchard 8-21. Pairs: Dave Snell & Mel Biggs lost to Rob Honeywell & Jamie Chestney 10-30.

Triples: James Nobbs, Tom Walkley & Gary Morphet lost to Phil Hackett, Michael Woodbridge & Adrian O’Neill 13-26.

Fours: Kyle Anderson, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell beat Mark Hopkins, Craig Down, Matt Bass & Harry Goodwin 16-14.

Score: Royal Wootton Bassett lost to Kings, Torquay 1-4.