LITTLE Mill started the 11th round of Monmouthshire Short Mat Bowls Association League matches with an emphatic 10-0 home win against Mathern to move above Devauden and Usk into fourth, reports HAYDN HOLDER.

Second-placed Caerwent put the pressure on leaders Dingestow, as an 8-2 home win against Devauden briefly put them within three points of the table toppers, with a fixture between the two still to come.

This was scheduled for next week but, unfortunately, has had to be postponed.

In the third fixture to take place, Usk visited Magor and came away with a 9-1 win to move back into fourth above Little Mill and Devauden.

The final fixture of the week found third-placed Caldicot hosting the league leaders and with longer, slower mats, Caldicot appeared to have an early advantage.

However, the two Dingestow triples eventually found their length and pulled away to good wins.

In the pairs, Dingestow scored a comfortable win on one mat, while the other pair led by one shot, but dropped two shots on the last end, depriving the leaders of a clean sweep.

Three rounds of matches remain, and after victory Dingestow moved back out to lead Caerwent by 11 points.

It seems unlikely that anyone can catch these two now.

Meanwhile, having been deluged by the Storm Claudia floods back in November, Monmouth Bowls Club have restarted short mat bowls on Thursday evenings at 7pm at the clubhouse.

Club nights have also restarted on Mondays, running from 7pm to 9pm.

Elsewhere, Chepstow Bowls Club’s Mike Dick has been selected to represent Wales at the British Isles Indoor Bowls Council’s Men's Internationals in Belfast on March 12-13.