Nailsea Croquet Club’s Short Croquet Open League team played matches against two very worthy opponents but were outclassed in both.

They have two more matches to play in July which they will approach in their customary positive and friendly manner.

Short Croquet is played on a small lawn and entails running six hoops with each ball then pegging out compared with the full Association Croquet game of 12 hoops and pegging out.

A beautifully sunny Sunday saw the hosts face a strong team from Kington Langley and at half-time Nailsea had won three of the eight games. But they won only two of the eight afternoon games leaving Kington Langley as clear victors.

Tuesday saw a slightly different team travelling to a very windy, but thankfully dry, Taunton Deane for a return match, having won the first match earlier this season by only two games.

The margin was much greater on this occasion, but Nailsea won only four of the 16 games.

Gary Faulkner, who only started playing last year, and Steve Durston, returning to this version of croquet after a five-year break, gained more experience as veterans Geoff Hughes and Linda Shaw won two games each.