The final fixture in the SW Federation Golf Croquet Level Play League saw Sidmouth venture to Somerset to meet Taunton Deane, writes Richard Thurlow.

Sidmouth had a good chance of retaining the top spot in their division in this league, provided the result was a win or a draw, but this was not to be.

Taunton Deane, with a team of six low handicap players, (including one with a minus one handicap), proved too strong for the Sidmouth players who were trounced 14.5-5.5.

This was the only defeat that the Sidmouth Level Play team sustained this season. On the whole a very good performance, and again something too build on next year.

Finally, on a lighter note, your correspondent was seen this week, plaintively wandering around the lawns looking for his back pack, on his way home after having suffered a mentally bruising defeat in a match against a another member. It was only after 15 minutes of such searching that it was laughingly pointed out to him that it was actually on his back.

Such is life; next year we do need some new members with more mental robustness!. Some thing to build on next year.