SLAPTON Cygnets strengthened their position as the leaders of the South Hams Short Mat Bowls League by winning 37-17 at Diptford on Friday.

Details: M Lang, C Stradling, P Tyler, V Jenkin lost to M Luscombe, L Jarvis, M Sullock, A Mallyon 7-22; B Lang, R Cooper, N Hill, K Stow lost to R Paynter, W Sullock, C Wotton, A Wotton 10-15.

Diptford are finding the going tough in their debut season in division one, and three days later they were on the receiving end of a 46-14 thrashing at South Brent.

After weeks of living a nomadic life, Totnes Creameries can again begin to think about having a home base.

They have been forced to play all their matches away from home since having to move out of the primary school hall at Dartington, but later this month they will be returning to the civic centre.

Defending champions Milk Churns, in spite of losing at South Milton last week, are well placed to make a bid for the title again, while Milky Bar Kids can be expected to make up lost ground in the new year.

Milk Churns had no answer to Ken Luscombe's four at Milton, but Simon Pridham came out on top on the other mat thanks to a three-shot haul on the 13th end. Details: D Goddard, D Osmond, C Dunton, K Luscombe beat R Perkins, B Burdock, P Harris, D Boon 18-3; B Breese, G Collyer, E Grant, B Luscombe lost to A Tucker, S Gudger, R Gudger, S Pridham 9-13.

In a bottom-of-the-table match at South Brent, Milky Bar Kids lost 23-26 in a tight encounter and collected only one point. Details: C Winterflood, J Elms, M Newman, C Young beat J Rosser, R Gerry, A Crane, C Edwards 16-13; R Winterflood, P Juste, T Tregillus, M Newman drew with B Rogers, T Jarvis, G Rix, P Edwards 10-10.

Loddiswell v Wembury, postponed.

In division two, Spilt Milk gained two points at Strete thanks to a big win by county player Dave Summers' four, but were left at the bottom of the table by Slapton Swans' 41-13 demolition of South Milton Sanders.

Strete details: R Johns, M Pound, P Lobb, T Andrew beat B Cawthorne, M Barrett, P Hancock, E Glanfield 24-3; S Joy, A Edmonds, J Scanlan, A Pound lost to A Summers, M Richards, P Tulley, D Summers 5-23.

Slapton details: C Bowles, A Kyte, J Gill, E Bowles beat N Townsend, S Girling, T Lewis, I Yeabsley 5-21; L Gwynn, R Edmonds, M Bowles, K Gill beat J Schirn, A Hammett, R Luscombe, J Elliott 8-20.

Kingston beat Dittisham 31-18: A Woods, P Hanford, G Phillips, T Walters beat K Brown, B O'Flaherty, P Gooderham, M Fletcher 19-8; J Brown, C Thomas, R Pryor, M O'Rourke beat S Fildes, B Gooderham, Di Fletcher, M Faulkner 12-10.

West Alvington just had the better of Stokenham Stokers 24-21 for four points in a match between the top two teams. Details: B Coates, B Welham, R Coates, R Welham lost to A Sidwell, M Whitney, D Aldworth, A Blake 10-13; P Middleton, C McCabe, G Doyle, M Bartley beat Y Whitney, A Cadman, D Sidwell, J Cadman 14-8.

Division three leaders Ivybridge Erme lost 24-36 to clubmates Filham: P Bray, E Eady, J Chaplin, T Tyler lost to D Bufton, AM Sampson, C Bufton, T Plant 17-19; J Slocombe, D Gibbs, G Johns, C Ashby lost to B Plant, S Robertson, A Elliott, M Bradbury 7-17.

Foxhole remained at the foot of the league when they lost 18-27 away to Stokenham Hammers. Details: J Goodman, B Goodman, S Greening, P Greening beat J Gale, D Parnell, T Sloman, A Mitchell 18-5; P Lamble, C Fleck, I Perkins, B Coleman lost to M Mitchelmore, A Parnell, M Gale, J Derbyshire 9-13.