THE Motley Crew from Chapelhay Tavern, the reigning mixed champions, were narrowly beaten in a thrilling final at the eighth Blackthorn British Championships at the Riviera Conference Centre in Torquay.

A runners-up cheque for £600 was scant consolation but the team was able to celebrate the fact that Nik Baker won the Press Officer of the Year award for all the Motley Crew teams, going one step further than her second-place finish in 2010.

After battling through three closely fought knockout rounds during the course of the day to reach the finals, the Crew found themselves up against local Torquay team, the Misalots.

The irony of their opponents’ name was not lost on the Weymouth side as they failed to keep pace with the in-form Misalots, whose composure in the cauldron of the fire enabled them to run out eventual winners, 357-329.

A circumspect Sue Perrin of the Motley Crew said: “Big congratulations to the Misalots. We were so near but yet so far. In the end, it just didn’t click and they ran away with the points.”