A WIN for Billericay Meadows at Essex Invitation Petanque League leaders Bocking Poachers has kept the title race open. The Meadows took the match after winning the triples and the pairs, but Pat Brown rescued a valuable point for the Poachers with a narrow 13-11 singles win.

Billericay Lakes also had a 2-1 win over the Cock.

Lakes also took the triples and the pairs to seal the match win but Neil Morgan claimed a point for the Cock in the singles.

In division two, leaders Wethersfield Jetts visited Broomfield FC and lost out 2-1.

Eric Smith, Terry Williams and Ryan Cook led the triples 9-2, but Broomfield's Nikki Parrish, Dave Bird and Trevor Blows got back to 9-12 and at the final end, Blows shot out a Wethersfield boule to make four and take the game 13-12.

Blows took the singles 13-3 against Cook, but Terry Whiting and Williams won the pairs for the Jetts 13-8.

Two wins in a week for Blackwater U3A put them into second place to keep an outside chance of the title.

A 3-0 win over Three Elms Q was followed by a 2-1 win at Bardfield as Peter Harden secured the victory with a 13-12 win over Ian Ruffle.

Wethersfield Hopps had a 2-1 win at Little Totham Swan but their title hopes are fading.

They still have to play team-mates, the Jetts, in a key title decider but will realistically need a 3-0 win to close the gap at the top.