Clevedon bowers reach the last eight of Denny Cup

The Clevedon Bowls Club, where the legendary David Bryant honed his skills and one of the most successful clubs in the country, are enjoying a high profile once again in the Ryman the Stationer national inter-club championship.

With Bryant, now 77, on the sidelines these days, Clevedon showed they are still a force to be reckoned with on Saturday when they clinched a place in the quarter-finals of the Denny Cup.

While their 90-77 overall victory over Torbay owed much to a massive 36-11 home win for the rink skipped by Pip Branfield over Alan Bowden's quartet, Daran Mason added a useful single shot win against Dave Summers.

In Paignton, Craig Walker's men dropped a last-end treble to lose 21-19, while John Hick's quartet lost 18-17 to former Plymouth star Derek Singleton.

Cotswold were in fine form, too, in the consolation Denny Plate event – open to first-round losers in the Cup. They won in style, beating Kingsbridge-based South Hams on all four rinks, with Dave Brown and Keith Hinder skipping their home rinks to wins of 28-7 and 26-13 respectively.

Clevedon will play Lincoln on January 24 for a place in the Denny Cup semi-finals, while Cotswold meet Swale or Isle of Wight in the quarter-finals of the Plate.

Bristol schoolteacher Chris Keating swept into the semi-finals of the Welsh under-25 singles championship with a 21-9 win over Sam Brown, but he could not match the accuracy of Port Talbot's Ross Tomlinson, who beat him 21-7 at Blaenau Gwent.

Ryman the Stationer national inter-club championship (Denny Cup) – Last 16: Clevedon bt Torbay 90-77 – Rink scores (Clevedon skips first): P J Branfield 36, A Bowden 11; D Mason 18, D Summers 17; J Hick 17, D Sinleton 28; C Walker 19, R Johnson 21. Lincoln bt Blackpool NH 93-65; Essex County bt Rugby Thornfield 102-53; Portsmouth Victory bt Betteshanger 73-71; Exonia bt Desborough (Maidenhead) 82-49; Cumbria bt Alfreton 84-64; Egham bt Preston (Brighton) 75-72; Barking bt Northampton 119-51.

Denny Plate consolation event – Last 16: Cotswold bt South Hams 88-42 – Rink scores (Cotswold skips first): K Hinder 26, S Lamble 13; D Brown 28, B Geldard 7; T Griffiths 18, J Harding 10; R Speke 16, J Yeabsley 12. Spalding bt Featherstone 82-77; Bodmin bt Watford 101-56; Cambridge Chesterton bt Mid Suffolk 80-76; Swale bt Isle of Wight 93-59; Darlington bt Erewash 90-85; Wellingborough bt Beccles 77-71.