ILMINSTER Bowls Club held the annual Regional Finals for the Balcomb Trophy at the weekend.

Counties were vying for a place at the Aviva National Finals.

All the semi-final matches at the Regional Finals commenced at 10am, with the Finals being played at 2pm.

At Ilminster Bowls Club, the matches were Devon v Gloucestershire and Herefordshire v Wiltshire.

Successful teams from all Regional Finals will proceed to the semi-finals at the Aviva National Finals on Sunday 20th August (Balcomb Trophy) at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa.

In other news at Ilminster Bowls Club they defeated Victoria in the Double Rink Semi-Final and will now face Clevedon in the Area Final.

The club has gone from strength to strength in recent years and in a chat with the English Indoor Bowling Association website, Ilminster BC's Mark Denslow discussed how.

He said: "I have learnt so much over the years, it is so rewarding to help others.

"The coaching course gave me the grounding of how to teach and I learnt about all the health and safety elements.

"My knowledge and experience has enabled me to coach others well. Seeing the smiles on their faces when it goes well is an amazing feeling and knowing they want to progress to playing for their club is the icing on the cake."

Mark is a county-standard player himself, and credits his love for the game to the success he picked up at an early age.

He said: "I have never lost my passion for the game and it is a game you can enjoy and be successful in at age. There is something for everyone and leagues available for all abilities."

Now he looks to teach the younger generation all he knows about bowls.

"We provide all the equipment to get them going and try to make it as fun as possible whilst coaching and teaching at a level appropriate for their age.

"It is important to keep the youngsters engaged and ensure they are given the opportunities to compete at all levels. They are so important for the future of the game."

He urged everyone in the local area to go down to Ilminster Bowls Club and give it a go.

"Bowls is so good for wellbeing for all ages and it offers exercise, the chance to be part of a team and work on your own individual spirit, so we have to keep this wonderful game going."