ON SUNDAY, May 10, a battle was raging on the piste between eight ladies teams.

The Welsh Petanque Association’s annual National Women’s Triple Championships was taking place to determine the winners who would represent Wales at the World Championships in Thailand later this year.

Penarth Petanque Club entered two teams, the ‘Penbelles’, Anne Mealing, Celia Scott and Jeanette Parker. The other team was ‘DFS’, Valerie Falconer, Pat McCarthy and Jayne Dunn.

In the morning the teams were divided into two pools, playing a round robin of three games. The Penbelles won one of their three games, but DFS won two out of three, putting them in a very good position for the afternoon’s onslaught.

DFS won their first two games easily and went on to play the favourites, Monkstone Inn, from the Wheatsheaf Petanque Club, with the threesome of Gay Evans, Julie Bailey and Jill Brace.

The Monkstone Inn initially built up a quick lead, but the Penarth team came back and drew level at nine all. Staying focused, they managed to edge the favourites out with a win of 13-11.

It was a well deserved first win of the National Triples Championships for a ladies team from Penarth.