Berkhamsted Bowls Club were visited by the Friends of English Bowls after being named as runners-up in Bowls England’s Top Club of the Year award.
Players from all over the country, including county presidents and national officers, honoured the club with a fine display of bowling under perfect blue skies and a lightning fast green.
This resulted in a 129-102 win for the Friends, with Berkhamsted’s top rink being Sarah Marshall, Alice Biggs, Frank Cutting and David Brown.
In other matches this week, Berkhamsted quartet Lesley Brown, Biggs, Jackie Cormack and Mary Clarke beat a team from Potton End 22-12 in the league.
In a friendly match against Redbourn, Berkhamsted lost 81-59 despite the efforts of the top rink of Tom Presland, Biggs and Alan Baker.
However, the week finished on a high with a win over a team from Herts, despite torrential rain stopping the match twice. Berkhamsted won 95-75 with the top rink going to Alan Parsons, Linda Ralphs and Tony Perry.
> Potten End
The Potten End ladies played Berkhamsted in a double-header this week, losing the league game but winning the friendly match.
The men played a County League game against Herts and won on both rinks, before the club travelled to Amerham for a triples game and won 79-57 with highest winning rink going to Molly Moone, Sheila Howling and Arthur Page.
Elsewhere, Potten End hosted Kitcheners and won 118-81 as top rink went to Dave Gomm, Bob Simpson, Gerry Jackson and Jean Jones.
On Thursday, the club played Kings Langley in the Dacorum Shield and won on all three rinks, before travelling to Harperbury and losing 104-75 in a mixed game.
The men, meanwhile, progressed to the final of the Griffin Cup by beating Garston by three shots to set up a clash with Owls.
The men also held their annual Triples Day on Sunday where 30 men competed for top honours.
Finals weekend will see the team of Jack Bunting, Dave Gomm and Jim Moone battle it out with Kevin Aston, Cyril Pike and Phil Bunting.
> Hemel Hempstead
Having successfully seen off Herts BC in the semi-final of the Watford & District Ray Cup, Hemel Hempstead will face Potten End BC in the final of the competition.
The match will be played on Saturday at the neutral venue of Kings Langley BC.
In the District League, Hemel overcame last week’s disappointing result at North Mymms with a convincing win at home against Batchwood Hall.
Their 106-49 victory handed Hemel the full 80 points on offer. Top rink was Steve Groome, Ron Row, George Smith and Brian Smith.
> Tring
Tring had a convincing 125-85 win against Aston Clinton, with top rink going to Gerald Laishley, Trish Hewetson and Ian Croad.
A very close match followed against Cheddington, with Tring losing by five shots.
In the match against Bovingdon Tring went down 28-13, and there was bad news in the semi-finals of the Middleton Cup as Tring were eliminated by Owls in a very close encounter.