TAYLOR Monk, Paul Field, Terry Heppell and Andy Thomson of Blackheath and Greenwich Bowls Club (B&G) crashed out of the Waitrose EBA National Championships in the first round.

Held at Worthing, the quartet went down 18-20 to Gloucester side Jack Dempsey, Roger Bird, Andy Letts and David Brown from Caer Glow.

After torrential rain over the first five ends both teams settled into the game.

With Thomson at skip B&G went into a 4-1 lead at five ends.

A workman-like performance on a heavy green then took Thomson 10-7 up at the 10th end which they extended to 17-9 on the 16th end.

But then disaster struck as the Gloucester side fought back scoring 3-3-4 on the next three ends to take the lead 19-17.

Holding three shots on the next end Thomson, with his last bowl of the end, tipped over a Gloucester bowl for second shot to go into the last end one down instead of one shot up.

Despite a valiant effort on the last end they could not recover the deficit losing a single to go down 18-20.