BOWLS: WITH the summer outdoor season fast approaching, Five Rivers Indoor Bowls Club are reflecting on their best season to date.

As well as successfully defending their Riversmeet League title, winning five of their six games, the club's ladies were also Zone champions in the Yetton Trophy - reaching the last 16 in the country to equal their achievement of 1996.

Not to be outdone, the men have also excelled.

Like the ladies, they also won five of their six games to take their section of the Wessex League for the first time in their history, beating major clubs such as Dorchester and Bournemouth whose membership doubles that of the Salisbury outfit.

In their National competitions, they reached Round four in the Over 60s Double Rink and Round Three of the Denny Cup.

The men proved the more successful in the individual competitions and were unlucky not to have representatives in the Area Finals.

Ann and Richard Hindley lost their mixed pairs Area semi-final on the last end.

Richard Hindley, John Ellis and Dennis Shipp reached the Triples semi-final along with Mike Tyler, Bob Tanner and Mickey Crook.

The Mickey Crook triple, along with Colin Ives, also reached the semi-finals of the Fours and Richard Hindley and Dennis Shipp lost their pairs quarter-final clash only on an extra end.

Janice Bull, Sue Frost, Val Goodenough, Gillian Johnson, Audrey Ralls, Ianthe Sanders and Pat Sharp represented the county in the Ladies' Atherley competition, while Mickey Crook, Richard Hindley, Dennis Shipp, Terry Spreadbury and Bob Tanner enjoyed county recognition in Liberty Trophy.