Nailsea & District Croquet Club hosted their first large tournament of the season recently.

A total of 24 teams of four from 14 clubs from all over the South West of England and one side from South Wales took part in the South West Federation Spring Short Croquet Tournament.

Normally an annual event, due to the Coronavirus pandemic it has not taken place, and some captains had to find substitutes at short notice because members of their teams withdrew with Covid-19.

Sidmouth lost three of their players due to the illness and could only find one substitute, so two members of the Nailsea club made up the rest of the team.

The fun tournament is played on half-size lawns and is a good way for players to shake off the cobwebs and warm up for the new season.

Teams played in five separate divisions with five teams in each and on Friday Exeter B were the clear winners, winning 13 games out of 16.

Budleigh Salterton Rushes came second with nine wins followed by Camerton and Peasedown B (seven), Weston (six) and Winterborne Valley (five).

Divisions Three and Four played on Saturday, with results close in both and no clear winners until the fifth and final round.

East Dorset won Division Four with 11 wins followed by Sidsea Nailmouth (10), Taunton Tiggers (eight), Glamorgan (six) and Bristol Allsorts (five).

Swindon won Division Three with 10 wins ahead of Taunton Terriers, Bristol Boys and Budleigh Salterton Roquets, who all finished with eight wins each as Exeter A came fifth with six wins.

Divisions One and Two were played on Sunday with three Nailsea teams in action, two in Division One and another one in Division Two.

Again the results were very close as Sidmouth Fortfield and Bath B both finished on 10 wins in Division Two, followed by Kington Langley Aardvarks and Nailsea Avening (seven wins) and Bath A (six).

The winners of Division Two were decided by a shootout at the peg, which was won by Sidmouth Fortfield (1-0).

Kington Langley Bruins won Division One with 11 wins followed by Nailsea Trendlewood (10), Nailsea (nine), Camerton and Peasedown A (eight) and Cornwall (two).

The winners in Divisions Two, Three, Four and Five will be promoted next year and teams that finished in fifth place in Divisions One, Two, Three and Four will be relegated.