There was a pleasing improvement in the entries this year, with 26 teams taking part.

The winners of each of the 5 groups would automatically qualify for the Quarter Finals, and would be joined by the winners of the First Round, which would consist of the group runners-up and the best 3rd placed team.

Group Stages
Reigning champions Belstead/Brockley won all their games on the way to finishing top of Group 1. Behind them, Stanningfield A lost once, won their remaining games, to finish comfortably as runners-up.

Claydon/Belstead/Bustall also won all 4 games in Group 2, finishing well ahead of next best, who were Stanningfield C, qualifying on shots having won 2 and lost 2 games.

Claydon/Barking topped Group 3 on maximum points, while behind them, Hundon A were the best of 3 teams to finish on 4 points, and who were separated by just half a dozen shots.

Group 4 saw the closest fight for the top spot, as Belstead/Copdock and Chelmondiston B both finished on 7 points, with Chelmo ending up as winners, 3 shots to the better.

No one in Group 5 managed to get through their games undefeated. Best of the lot were Cockfield B and Chelmondiston A, who both won 3 games, with Cockfield’s superior shots score getting them the group win. The group also produced the best 3rd placed team, Knodishall A, whose 4 points and 29 shots, were a shot better than the best of the rest.

Knockout Rounds
Preliminary Round (Runners-up & Third Place)
Hundon A ran out to an early 6-0 lead over Belstead/Copdock, winning the game 7-2.

Knodishall A picked up consecutive 4s against Chelmondiston A, which sealed the game, as they finished 13-4 winners.

In the all-Stanningfield match, A scored 6 shots in the first 3 ends, and were never challenged after that, winning 7-4.

Quarter Finals
Belstead/Brockley picked up the first 2 ends against Knodishall A, and just about managed to keep their noses in front, as they won 6-4.

Barking/Claydon went into the last end against Stanningfield A already 8-3 up. Stanningfield would need an improbably big score to win, but it was Barking/Claydon who did that, picking up a 7 to finish 15-3 winners.

Claydon/Belstead/Burstall started with a 4 against Hundon A, and never looked back, taking a comfortable 10-5 win.

Easily the closest game was between Chelmondiston B and Cockfield B, although it looked far from that with 3 ends to go, with Chelmondiston 7-1 up. But Cockfield dragged it back, with a 2, a 3 and a 1, to level the game, and force an extra end, only for Chelmo to then win it.

Semi-Finals
Barking/Claydon started against Chelmondiston B with a 4, and were never in any danger, they slowly stretched the lead out, coming home 9-1 winners.

Claydon/Belstead/Burstall started with a couple of shots against Belstead/Brockley, and were still a shot up a couple of ends later. But Belstead/Brockley blitzed the next 3 ends, with a 2, a 2, and a 5 on the penultimate end, as they won 11-5.

Final
Barking/Claydon (Tom & Sam Runnacles and Clint & Emma Watling) v Belstead/Brockley (Neil & Keith Jolly, Oscar Mew and Paul Daniels)

The first couple of ends were shared, with each team picking up a shot, but the third end saw Barking/Claydon pick up a 3, which they followed with another 2, to lead 6-1. However, Belstead/Brockley responded with a 3, and then 1 more on the 6th end to close to within a shot. Crucially, though, they wouldn’t have last wood, and that proved to be decisive, as Barking/Claydon got the jack out into the open. Down by one, Neil did all he could with his last wood, pushing out the opposition to hold 2, but Tom responded perfectly, picked up the jack, and took 2, to take the title with an 8-5 win.

Thanks to all those who stayed on until the end of a very long day, and to the theatre company who very graciously allowed us to stay on and finish the final after the event had over run.

You can find all the day's results here.

There was a small uptick in entries for this year’s competition, with 28 teams competing.

They were divided into 5 groups, 2 of 5 teams, and 3 of 6, with the winner and runners-up and the best 3rd placed team qualifying for the knockout stages, which would be played all the way down to the final.

Group 1
Hundon/Barking won all their games to top the group, with Chelmondiston B the runners-up on 6 points.

Group 2
No one was able to win all their games, but Stanningfield A came closest, winning 3, while Claydon A’s two wins, and a draw, was good enough for second place.

Group 3
Belstead/Claydon and Knodishall A guaranteed themselves the two top spots, by winning their first three games, and then played one another to decide the final standings. That game went to Knodishall, as did the group win.

Group 4
Belstead/ Brockley and Claydon B both won 3 games, and drew with one another, so the final positions were decided on shots, with Belstead/Brockley just ahead by 4.

Group 5
Clear group winners were Barking/Claydon, who won all four games. Second place was close with Hundon A and Cockfield who both won 3 games, but Hundon were two shots better, taking second, while Cockfield were good enough to take the best 3rd place, and qualify.

Knockout Rounds
First Round (play-off between runners-up and best third place)
Claydon A had a healthy 6-1 lead over Chelmondiston B with 2 ends to go, and needed all of that as they held on to win 6-5.

Claydon B led Belstead/Claydon right from the start, never looked troubled, and came home comfortable 10-2 winners.

It was all square between Hundon A and Cockfield with 2 ends to go, but Cockfield came on strong at the end, winning the last 2 ends, to take an 8-4 victory.

Quarter Finals (group winners + Round 1 winners)
Claydon A were again off to a good start, 6-0 up over Knodishall A after 3 ends, and were never in danger, winning 10-3.

Barking/Claydon sealed their win over Belstead/Barking on the 3rd end, as they picked up a 5. The final score of 7-5 to Barking/Claydon made the game look closer than it was in reality.

Hundon/Barking won the first end against Cockfield, and just about kept their noses in front throughout the game, winning 6-4.

Claydon B had 7 on the board by the time Stanningfield got off the mark, and took a comfortable 10-1 win.

Semi-Finals
Claydon A v Barking/Claydon
The first couple of ends went Barking/Claydon's way, but only by one shot one each end. And from then on in, Claydon chipped back to level, and then past, holding a two shot lead going into the last end, which saw Claydon push the jack to the back of the mat, and ultimately leaving their opposition with no hope of levelling the game. Claydon won 6-2.

You can see footage of the final 3 ends here.

Hundon/Barking v Claydon B
Hundon/Barking won the first end, but the middle part of the game saw Claydon build a healthy 7-2 game. Hundon/Barking pulled a couple back on the penultimate end, but they were given little chance to pull that back, and Claydon took the game 8-4.

Final
Claydon A (Andy Pooley and Steve & Sue Isles) v Claydon B (Ally Hobbs and Jim & Sally Goodrich)

End 1 - With Andy holding 4, Ally comes into the head and clears the lot out, only for Andy to then clip hers away to pick up 2.
End 2 - A very good start from Sue, but Ally gets a result with her first wood to pick up one. 2-1 to Andy.
End 3 - Jim starts well, but Sue is just a little bit better, a little bit of shuffling about, but Andy picks up another one to lead 3-1.
End 4 - Again Sue starts well, and trying a bit too hard, Sally overplays her second wood, and runs the jack off the carpet. 5-1 to Andy.
End 5 - Sally forces her way into the head to take shot, and it’s still holding as Ally bowls her last, but in search of a second, she turns an opposition wood over, and gives it away. Andy leads 6-1.
End 6 - Sally is in for shot, and with her last Ally manages to get another one in to give her team a glimmer of hope. 6-3.
End 7 - Again Sue is in early, but Sally gives her team some hope by moving the jack out to the side of the carpet where they held 2. Ally brings another across to hold 3, but with his last Andy takes out the opposition's second and third woods to drop just one, and take the match 6-4.

Andy takes the title for the second year in succession, while it's a first Triples win for Steve and Sue.

You can see footage of the Final here.

You can find all the day's results here.