BOCKING Dyers were unable to get the win they needed to catch the top two in the Essex Invitation Petanque League as they lost 2-1 to fifth-placed Billericay Meadows.

The Meadows took the triples 13-8 and while Paul and David Adams had a 13-2 win in the pairs for the Dyers, Trevor Turner was beaten 13-9 in the singles as the Bocking side lost 2-1.

Bocking Poachers needed to bounce back from a defeat but Billericay Lakes took the triples 13-7.

Mark Williams and Paul Griffin hit back to take the doubles and Pat made sure of the match win with a 13-10 singles win.

In Division two, the top two teams, Bocking Boules and Thorley both had 3-0 wins.

Boules beat Wethersfield Hopps in a very long match, with Trevor Blows, Billy Williams and Darren Hutchins winning the triples 13-7, Blows enjoying a comfortable 13-2 singles win and Hutchins partnering Callum Finn to a 13-12 pairs success.

Thorley beat Wethersfield Jetts at home and the final match saw Swan take advantage of the Wethersfield losses by producing a 2-1 win over Blackwater U3A and moving off the bottom of the table into fourth place.