A WEST Devon bowls club saved the day last week, after county bowls officials faced an emergency decision following an arson attack.

The South Western Counties League match between Devon and Somerset was due to be staged at the Sir Francis Drake club in Plymouth which had suffered severe fire damage only a few days before the match.

But help was not far away, as Bere Alston Bowling Club stepped into the breach.

John Smerdon, the county secretary, said Bere Alston rose 'magnificently' to the challenge of staging their first senior county match.

'It was a terrific blow when SFD was attacked and we had to move quickly to find a new venue, not easy at short notice and at the peak of the playing season,' said Mr Smerdon.

'Because Bere Alston has always been thought of as out on a limb we had not used their facilities before. But we gave them the opportunity to stage this prestigious match and, with their superb green, they responded magnificently.'

And following the success of the match venue, it looks like Bere Alston will be in for more senior league action.

'We will definitely be using them again in the future for county games. It's a beautiful setting, a super club and this has helped to put Bere Alston on the county map,' said Mr Smerdon.

John Greaves, the county president, praised the club for arranging the match at 'extremely short notice.

'It was not an easy thing to do,' he said.

And England International David Cutler of the SFD, who played for Devon, added: 'If the match had to be held anywhere other than our club Bere Alston would have been my automatic choice. There was no chance of the match going ahead at our place because of severe smoke damage, a collapsed pavilion roof and burnt out changing rooms.'

Bere Alston secretary, Norman Jane, welcomed suggestions that the club would be offered more county matches.

'This could really put us on the map,' he said.

In the match itself Devon, wooden spoonists last year, scored a convincing victory over Somerset, 130 shots - 109 to move into the upper reaches of the league.

Their win was helped in no small way by the Bere Alston pair of Keith Whitting and Rod Dawe who contributed to the highest scoring rink of the day 34-24.