Bude’s handicap team went into their last two fixtures knowing that one win would guarantee them top place in the South West League section.

First up was a trip to St Austell on July 24, who had previously lost 16-4 at Bude.

History looked set to repeat itself as after the first two rounds, Bude had won all four doubles matches and five of the seven singles to storm into a 9-2 lead, needing only two more wins to take maximum points.

However, the home side responded and won seven consecutive singles games, five of them very narrowly (either 7-6 or 7-5) to level the scores at 9-9.

Two singles games remained to play: the first was lost, leaving Bobbo Peers trying to avoid a first-ever Bude league defeat.

With customary perseverance, he dug deep to gain a tense 7-6 victory, the overall draw being sufficient to ensure the Seasiders would finish top of the league.

The final game, away to Barnstaple on July 25, was therefore pressure free, and once again Bude won all four doubles to take an early lead.

The second round was equal, with four single wins each, leaving the Cornish side 8-4 ahead.

An element of nervousness after the previous day's failure to capitalise on a winning position then crept into Bude's play, but Chris Ham, Pete Cash and Bobbo Peers steadied the ship with big wins, and Frances Hornblow ended the day with a hard-fought 7-6 victory to give Bude an overall 12-8 success, underpinned by Peers and Cash being unbeaten all day.

Bude’s handicap team topped the league with five wins and a draw, and join the Higher Handicap team in the knockout phase, both having been drawn away to the winners of the South East section, a phenomenal achievement in only the club’s second season of league competition.