BLACKWATER U3A kept hopes alive of a top six play-off place in the Essex Invitation Petanque League as they took a point from second placed Bocking Spinners

Ian Ruffle, Richard Tite and Malcolm Smith took the triples 13-9 for Spinners but Tite was beaten 13-5 in the singles.

In the deciding pairs, though, Ron and Peter Holmes could not match Ruffle and Smith, who took the game 13-4 and the match 2-1.

Blackwater now need maximum points from their game with Thorley to secure a top-six finish.

Wethersfield Hopps and Bocking Dyers had a very close match with all three games finishing 13-11.

Geoff Cockwell, Carolyn Acland and Karen Wade took the triples for the Hopps but Trevor Turner beat Kim Speed to make the match score 1-1.

Acland and Wade then took on David and Pam Adams and it was the Hopps pair who took the honours and the match 2-1. Three Elms hosted Thorley with both sides needing to win to secure a top six spot.

Dave Riby, Peter Edwards and Paul Charman took the triples 13-5 for the Elms but Jon Sellar won the singles 13-11 to level the match.

It was left to Riby and Edwards to win a very close pairs game 13-12 to take the points for the Three Elms and move into sixth place with a game still to play.

ESSEX INVITATION PETANQUE LEAGUE

P W L F A Diff Pts

Bocking Poachers 11 8 3 23 10 103 23

Bocking Spinners 11 9 2 22 11 56 22

Bocking Dyers 11 6 5 19 14 49 19

Billericay Meadows 11 6 5 17 16 13 17

Billericay Lakes 11 7 4 17 15 -10 17

Three Elms 10 6 4 16 14 45 16

Bocking Boules 11 4 7 16 17 -6 16

Thorley 10 3 7 14 16 -19 14

Wethersfield Jetts 11 4 7 13 20 -30 13

Wethersfield Hopps 11 5 6 13 20 -81 13

Blackwater U3A 10 3 7 12 18 -52 12

Swan 10 3 7 10 20 -68 10