Bowls competitions are reaching the business end of the season.

Baldock Town remain top of the Stevenage Mixed League after two wins.

They began by taking all six points in a hugely vital clash with St Ippolyts, winning 52-28, and then got five points for a 55-43 success against Royston.

The ladies lost their County League match at Royston 21-11. 

A friendly with Stotfold was won 80-39 while a visit to Barton-le-Clay brought a 57-32 victory.

A clash between Whitethorn and St Ippolyts in the Letchworth & District Triples proved well matched.

Both teams had spells in front but despite Whitethorn trailing by three points going into the final end, they picked up a four to win 15-14.

Whitethorn also played Baldock Town in the North Herts Ladies Fours but lost 18-14.

Their SML outing this week was against Howard Garden, with the latter claiming a 53-49 win.

Whitethorn did win two of the three rinks though, 18-17 and 18-13.

Howard Garden also had a couple of friendlies.

The first at home to Fairfield resulted in a 46-42 win for the visitors, the match having been level at the midway point.

Another home game against neighbours Letchworth Conservative Club ended in a HG win.

They were victorious on all rinks with Paul Donalson, Katherine Graham and Tony Wood winning theirs 24-9.

Datchworth began the week with a Women's County League match at Cheshunt.

A downpour forced the cancellation of the final end but by that point the home side had engineered a 29-4 success over Jenny Holzbauer, Janet Akers, Ann Edwards and Jan Smith.

The Blues did not have it easy away to Ware in Division One of the East Herts League either, going down 34-24.

Graham Akers, Jim Smith and Les Parsley won two more ends than they lost but with a lot of those wins being by multiple shots, they claimed an 18-10 victory.

However, a 24-6 loss for Dickie Jackson, Derek Henley and Peter Hills saw them win just five ends and hand Ware overall victory.

And the malaise continued with Rosedale winning 53-20 in a Division Two match against Datchworth's Gold team. 

Ian Green, Dave Castle and Steve Chamberlain lost 28-6 with Phil Holzbauer, Julian Hales and Terry Metcalf going down 24-15.

Better news came in the Welwyn Hatfield Bowls League as Kimpton's visit to Turkey Farm ended in a 37-26 home win.

Both rinks won with the top rink that of Jan Smith, Andy Pattle and Keith Smith with a 21-11 success.

The club also had three mixed friendlies.

A trip to Harperbury ended in an 82-46 defeat, the visitors winning just one rink, that a 23-8 win for Jack Harper, Barbara Williams and .Clyde Martindill.

The other two were far more joyous.

First, Datchworth won 68-66 at home to Hitchin Town, sharing the four rinks equally but getting bigger margins of victory.

Jim Whittle, Keith Smith and Richard Harper eased to a 22-16 success while Mike Usher, Julian Hales and Derek Henley had to fight back from 13-1 down to win 20-16.

And they followed that up a day later by beating Sele Farm on their Hartham Common green.

The 107-81 success came with four of the five rinks successful, the best of them being Richard Hutchinson, Dave Castle and Steve Arnold's storming 29-8 success.

North Herts had a resounding success over Holwell, winning 55-29 overall and on all three rinks.

The best of them was that of Andy Denniss, Alan O'Mahony and Norman Leslie who had a 23-8 triumph.