REIGNING champions Kington suffered their first defeat in the Tarmac Bowls League since May last year when Leominster produced a nail-biting finish to win by four shots on the last ends played.

The match had been keenly played with neither club picking up a decisive advantage as the lead changed hands several times.

As the last end came, Kington were leading by six shots and had only to contain the home club to win the match.

But three Leominster rinks between them picked up the six shots, leaving the last rink to finish deciding the match.

As the last Kington bowl was played, the match was tied with Leominster holding shot, but the Kington skip took their own bowl out of the head to give Leominster a four-shot count and the match.

However, Kington still lead the table with two matches won out of three and had previously beaten Weobley, taking a maximum 16-point haul by winning all four rinks. Best result of the day was scored by R Bithell's Kington rink with a 36-6 shot victory.

Wellington and St Martin's lie second and third in the table.

Wellington beat Weobley by seven shots and three rinks to one, despite a massive 32-14 win by Roy Warburton's Weobley rink.

Wellington then came unstuck when they visited Kingsland and lost by 19 shots. Only Barry Briffet's rink recorded a win for the visitors - by a single shot to prevent a Kingsland maximum - in their opening match. John Culver's Kingsland rink scored the day's best win by a 26-14 margin.

St Martin's picked up their second win in the local derby match against Castle Green. Their six-shot win benefited from Frank Harwood's rink which raced into a 14-0 lead before finishing 31-17.

Arny Harrison's rink produced the day's best result with a 28-11 win for Castle Green.

Results: Castle Green 82 St Martin's 88, Kington 115 Weobley 45, Leominster 72 Kington 68, Wellington 74 Weobley 67, Kingsland 83 Wellington 64.