NAILSEA Croquet Club hosted the preliminary rounds of the European Team Championships on Thursday and Friday of last week.

Teams from England, Scotland, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany and two teams from Wales played at Nailsea.

Each match consisted of two games of Association Croquet and a best-of-three Golf Croquet match.

Scotland won the yellow block and England won the red block. Both teams qualified for the quarter-finals and got through to the final at Cheltenham, which Scotland won 2-1.

Meanwhile, teams from Nailsea Croquet Club were involved in three matches over the weekend.

On Saturday, the South East Intermediate team beat Taunton Deane at home by three games to two, after being 2-0 down at lunch.

Results: Doubles: Mary Barnes & Linda Shaw lost -2T (8-10). Singles: Steve Walker lost -13T (4-17) and won +24; Jim Gregory won +5T (15-10); Linda Shaw won +7T (20-13).

On Sunday, two of the club's golf croquet teams were in action in home matches.

The Central team beat last year's league winners, Palace (Wells), 12-7 with one drawn game.

Nailses are top of the league table with four wins out of four and one match to play. The only teams that can overtake them are Bristol and Palace (Wells).

Results: Doubles: Brian & Brenda Roynon won 7-2 and lost 6-7; Brian McCausland & Polly Reynolds won 7-3 & 6-4. Singles: Ryan Cabble won 7-3 & 7-0, drew 6-6 and lost 4-7; Jim Gregory won 7-2, 6-3 & 5-4 and lost 2-7; Brian McCausland lost 4-7 and won 7-5; Brian Roynon won 7-3 & 7-0; Brenda Roynon lost 3-7 and won 7-5; Polly Reynolds lost 3-7 & 1-7.

Nailsea (South West) lost 12-8 to Sidmouth.

Results: Doubles: Anne Peek & Carl Jones drew 4-4 and lost 3-6; Andrew Frayley & Harry Wallace lost 5-7 and won 5-4. Singles: Chris Jackson won 7-5 and lost 5-6 & 5-7; Anne Peek won 7-2, drew 3-3 and lost 4-5; Carl Jones drew 5-5 and lost 4-6 & 6-7; Meriel Forshaw drew 5-5, won 6-3 and lost 2-7; Andrew Frayley lost 2-6, won 7-4 and lost 2-7; Harry Wallace won 7-5.