MALDON Bowls Club's Andy Squire reached the semi-final at the National Finals at Royal Leamington Spa before suffering a heart-breaking defeat.
In his opening match of the senior singles, Squire faced Tony Kirby from Kent, securing a solid victory with a score of 21 to 16.
Later that day, he faced a challenging opponent in Keith Wooding of Warwickshire.
This match was a nail-biter, with Squire clinching a dramatic win at 21 to 20, despite the sweltering 37-degree heat.
However, Squire's journey came to an end in the semi-finals against Alan George of Wiltshire.
The match swung back and forth, and just when Squire looked poised for victory at 20 to 19, a narrow miss on his final bowl allowed George to snatch the win with a score of 21 to 20.
Despite the disappointment, Squire left the tournament proud of his performance, especially as George went on to win the final by the same score against Andrew Bird of Lincolnshire.
It was also a decisive week for Maldon's teams in both the Chelmsford and District and Central Midweek leagues.
With relegation looming for four out of six teams, the stakes were high. In the C and D Division 1, Maldon A faced Writtle A, who were vying for the title.
Missing key players, Maldon called upon C team members Phil Arnold and Simon Ash, who, alongside Ken Varney and Steve Morrison, delivered an impressive performance.
They secured victory by 20 shots to 11, with Kevin Cornwell's rink winning 17 to 15, while Dave Torrice's rink narrowly lost 14 to 16.
This resulted in an eight to two points win, ensuring Maldon A retained their Division 1 status and thwarted Writtle's title hopes.
In Division 2, Maldon B needed a win against Lionmede to avoid relegation but faced disappointment despite an impressive eight to two points win.
Their fate was sealed when news arrived of Writtle B's victory, relegating Maldon by just four points.
Meanwhile, in Division 3, Maldon C faced Great Baddow and, despite losing on two rinks, managed an overall shots win, finishing with six points.
Maldon A concluded their season in the CMBL Division 1 with an eight to zero points win over Chelmsford B, finishing in third place.
However, Maldon C were relegated after a narrow defeat, with Maldon B surviving by a single point.
On Saturday, Maldon hosted Burnham Hillside for a friendly match, with both sides winning on two rinks.
Burnham edged the overall victory by a mere two shots.
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