WEYMOUTH & Melcombe Regis played host to an action-packed day of bowling with teams competing for a £700 prize fund in the sixth annual Open Triples Tournament.

The Bluebird Care-sponsored event saw plenty of twists, turns and some surprises as 12 local teams of triples competed throughout the morning in four leagues with games played over eight ends.

The victors and runners-up from each league then progressed to the quarter-finals in the afternoon.

An enthralling quarter-final stage saw all seven of the ladies to enter the competition – two all-ladies teams and one mixed side – book their places in the last four.

One hotly-contested last eight encounter saw ladies’ team PJJs – P Walker, J Bowers and J Jones – snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Rodgers Dodgers – L Griffiths, B Reynolds and R Skidmore.

With her team 6-5 down in the final end, Joyce Jones pulled two shots back with her penultimate wood to secure a dramatic victory.

Although PJJs exited the competition at the semi-final stage, another wonder wood by Sylvia Reynolds saw her all-ladies team of Bristols – C Ambrose and M Doster – progress to the final after a 9-6 win over PCC – P Emeny, P Davis and CH Smith.

Bristols held an 8-6 lead after seven ends but looked set to find themselves five adrift on the eighth before Sylvia Reynolds’ final wood turned the tables and clinched victory.

It was also a day to favour the host club as their players claimed all four semi-final spots, Greenhill Select having been knocked out in the quarters.

The final saw the only mixed team in the tournament, the Gala Goodies of Mary Irvine, Jim Bradley and Tony Norris, taking on Bristols.

Going four shots up in the fifth end to open up a 7-3 advantage, the Goodies had created an insurmountable lead, which their opponents were unable to claw back, losing 8-6 in the end.

After playing 40 ends of consistently good bowls, Gala Goodies claimed top spot and the first-place prize money.