The bowls team who competed in South Africa

JERSEY’S brave attempt to clinch a place in the final of the Atlantic fours championship foundered at Johannesburg at the weekend, when Cyril Renouf’s quartet came up against the might of Robert Newman’s England team.

‘To be honest, to lose 20-8 was a frustrating and disappointing way to finish what has been a marvellous two weeks,’ said Renouf. ‘Although Derek (Boswell) and John (Lowery) held their own at the front-end, we just didn’t play well enough, and were never allowed in the game.’

Renouf identified two occasions – first on the fifth end, and again on the ninth – when Newman trailed the jack for four shots, so that England were 14-7 ahead at the halfway stage.

‘Those two brilliant bowls made all the difference at that stage, and we were always looking for a way back into the game in the second half,’ said Renouf.

The Jersey quartet can be proud of what they achieved in winning a bronze medal for fourth place in the fours, however.