BOCKING Spinners took over at the top of the Essex Invitation Petanque League with a 2-1 win over Billericay Lakes.

Bocking Dyers closed the gap on the Poachers with a 2-1 win as Trevor Turner secured their win with a 13-10 victory over Pat Brown in the singles, while Three Elms kept their championship hopes alive with a 2-1 win at Billericay Meadows.

In division two, Thorley missed the chance to go top by losing 2-1 at Blackwater U3A, while the Wethersfield derby saw the Jetts beat the Hopps 2-1. Karen Wade, Kim Speed and Carolyn Acland took the triples 13-5 for the Hopps and while Eric Smith and Ryan Cook then took the pairs 13-3 over Acland and Wade, Terry Whiting secured the Jetts' match win by beating Speed 13-12 in a close singles game.

Meanwhile, two pairs from the Onley club contested the Beccles indoor event.

The two teams of Trevor and Daniel Blows and Dave Bird and Nikki Parrish found themselves in the same half of the draw for the Knockout Plate competition.

They both won their quarter-finals before meeting in the semi-final when Bird and Parrish took a 6-0 lead.

The father and son Blows pairing got back on level terms at 6-6 and points were traded until, at 12-11, Parrish pointed to the coche and Bird took advantage of an open head to score the winning point.

Parrish and Bird went on to play a Cambridge pair in the final and came away with first place, winning 13-11 in a very close match.