CLARRIE Dunbar were back on form last weekend after their scare in the first round of the Wessex League play-offs seven days earlier against Bromsgrove.

Having edged the Midlands side 70-67, Clarrie romped through the quarter final to beat Loddon Vale (Basingstoke) by 23 (89-66).

The game was in fact very tight for three quarters of the contest against Loddon Vale with the Hampshire side just leading 54-53 after 15 ends.

But then Clarrie moved into overdrive and in the next three ends across the board collected 18 shots and only conceded seven to take a ten shot lead and move 71-61 clear.

This momentum was carried forward into the last three ends as Clarrie pulled further away to finally win by 23 shots 89-66.

Dunbar’s victory was certainly built on good strong results away in Basingstoke where Terry Perkins rink won by 17 shots finishing with a flurry to pick-up 16 shots in the last four ends and Graham Shadwell’s rink who recorded a nine shots success.

This victorious result keeps Dunbar - winners of the Wessex overall crown in 2009 and 2013 and this season’s runaway central region champions - hopes on course to complete a treble of titles.

They will now play Carterton, a wildcard entrant, who only finished third in the east region behind West Berks and Loddon Vale, in the semi-finals at Bromsgrove in three weeks time on Sunday, April 11 (10am).

Clarrie will have even more incentive to beat Carterton and reach the final against either holders Exonia or central region rivals Bristol as the 2015 Wessex League final is being staged on April 26 (11am) on their own indoor green at Standerwick.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 2: Peter Hooley, Alan Brown, Craig Doughty & Russell Francis beat Fred Norris 18-17. Rink 3: John Freeman, John Smith, Dale Taylor & Andy Colebrooke lost to Dougie Morgan 15-19.

Away - Rink 1: Andrew Taylor, Alan Colebrooke, Fred Pope & Graham Shadwell beat Trevor Morgan 24-15. Rink 3: Ian Perkins, Brian Hawkins, Keith Bailey & Terry Perkins beat Neil Clarke 32-15.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar beat Loddon Vale 89-66.

PLAY- OFFS

Quarter finals: Malvern Hills 72 Carterton 75; Clarrie Dunbar 89 Loddon Vale 66; Kingsthorpe 57 Exonia (holders) 77; Bristol 79 Moonfleet 75.

Semi-finals, Sunday, April 11: Clarrie Dunbar v Carterton (at Bromsgrove 10am) Exonia (holders) v Bristol (at MidGlos 11am).

GRAHAM Shadwell has made a successful return to the international indoor bowls scene after a seven-year break.

The Trowbridge resident, who plays indoor bowls for Clarrie Dunbar, last appeared for an England seniors team in 2008, but over three days last week helped England to win the British Isles Indoor Bowling Council Men’s International Series and lift the Hilton Trophy.

Shadwell, 39, back as an international skip again led his England rink consisting of lead Steve Mitchinson (Tye Green, Harlow Essex), Neil McKee (Kingsthorpe, Northampton) at number two with Stephen Farish (Cumbria,Carlisle) at three to two wins at Stanley IBC (Co Durham).

On day one (Thursday) his rink trailed Irishman Ian McLure 9-4 at nine ends but came back strongly in the second half of their match to win 15-11 as England beat Ireland 105-91.

The following day his rink produced a powerful second half performance against Welshman Daniel Salmon coming from 9-4 down at eight ends to storm to a 23-11 victory as England thumped Wales 133-86.

Then on the last day (last Saturday) Shadwell’s rink again made a very slow start this time against Scotsman and 2014 world indoor bowls singles champion Darren Burnett’s foursome.

Shadwell’s four were 13-4 down at eight ends but on this occasion were unable to pull all of the deficit back, but from that point kept matters tight and only went down 21-13.

England looked like losing the overall title to Scotland in this deciding match as they were 72-50 adrift at 11 ends and 93-68 down at 15 but stormed back in the last six ends to cut the gap to only five shots.

Despite losing 112-107 England totalled four points to pip Scotland for the title on shots difference by +56 shots to +31.

Clarrie Dunbar teammate Russell Francis travelled to Stanley with Shadwell as he was named as one of the three England men’s reserves but did get a game like the other reserves.

TWO combinations from Clarrie Dunbar and one from North Wilts will be bidding for glory in three of the national competitions latter stages at Nottingham next week - Ladies Over 50s Two Wood Triples, Ladies Over 60s Pairs and Men’s Over 50s Triples.

In total the winners in 13 ladies, men’s and mixed national competitions will be decided next week in Nottingham.

First-up on Monday, March 23 are the Clarrie Dunbar trio of Brian Hawkins, John Freeman and Keith Bailey in the O50s men’s triples.

They face Martin Timms, Simon Davies and Mick Hawkins (Welford-on-Avon) at 12.30pm in a last 16 tie and if victorious play in the quarter-finals later in the day.

Monday also sees North Wilts duo Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs begin their quest for three national indoor titles.

Together with Jean Collier as their lead they face Victory (Portsmouth) skipped by Kath Patrick in a last eight, quarter-final tie in the O50s two wood triples at 5pm.

If successful they would then meet either Acle (Norfolk) or Essex side Falcon (Chelmsford) in the semi-finals on Tuesday morning (9.30am).

The third team competing at Nottingham next week are Clarrie Dunbar duo Ailsa Midwinter and Teresa King in the latter stages of the Over 60s Pairs on Wednesday morning.

They face Glenda Jones and her partner from Hounslow (9.30am) in the last 16. If successful they would then play Rivermead (Reading) or Egham (Surrey) in the quarter-finals at 6pm.

CHRISTIE Miller father and son pairing of Steve and Wayne Snook have qualified for the latter stages and last 16 in the national Generation Pairs competition at City of Ely IBC (Cambs) in late April.

They booked their place in Ely with a comfortable 25-11 victory in the inter-area final at Victoria (Street) last Sunday over Area 29 champions Ryan and Steve Hooper (Taunton Deane).

The Snooks had three tough narrow last end victories in order to book a place in the inter-area final with a 16-14 success against Richard and Craig Doughty (Clarrie Dunbar), an 18-17 win over another Clarrie team of Andy and Dale Taylor and in the Area 30 final another 18-17 success but this time over Christie Miller club mates Joe and Tom Newman.

However, they enjoyed a much easier passage in the inter-area final against Ryan Hooper and Steve Hooper from Taunton Deane.

The game was fairly even early on being tied 3-3 at three ends and 6-6 at eight. The Snooks then edged ahead before picking-up a four to move 13-7 up after 13 ends.

However, they dropped a four on the next end but hit back with a six on end 15 to move 19-11 clear and followed it up with a trio of twos to move 25-11 clear after 18 ends at which point opponents Taunton conceded.

Steve and Wayne Snook move forward to Ely on Saturday April 25 (10am) and a last 16 tie against Boston (Lincs).

ANDY Moore, from Christie Miller, Melksham was the highest finisher of the local bowlers who contested last Saturday’s planetbowls.com Bristol Open Indoor Singles tournament.

Despite winning the first set in the semi-final 8-1 he lost the second narrowly 7-6 and missed-out in a place in the final on the last end of a tie breaker going down 2-1 to England U25 international Ryan Atkins (Malvern Hills) who went on to win the final 2-0 and collected the £1,00 first prize.

Earlier Moore had beaten Andy Walters (Welford-on-Avon) 2-0 (5-3 6-3), Martin Timms (Welford) 2-1 (10-5, 2-9, 2-1), U25 international BJ Byles (Whiteknights, Reading) 2-0 (8-6 8-4) and another Welford player Brian Les in the quarter-finals 2-0 (7-2 7-4).

Next best of the local playrs was Clarrie Dunbar’s Bailey who lost in the last 32 to Ian Jefferies (Westlecot) 2-0 (10-6 8-5).

Moore moves up to 22nd in the rankings with all three Moore, holder Bailey and Jefferies competing in this weekend’s North Wilts Open Singles tournament.

A star-studded field headed by world number two Robert Paxton, a recent double winner in the men’s and mixed pairs at the world championships at Potters, Norfolk, will compete at North Wilts this weekend in the second North Wilts Open Singles tournament in Chippenham.

Dunbar’s Bailey, who won the tournament last year, is back to defend his title while runner-up Barry Jenkins also returns hoping to go one better this time around.

A top prize of £1,000 is on offer to the winner of the event, whose sponsors include the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, the sister paper of the Wiltshire Times.

The tournament is part of the planetbowls.com series of 29 open events around the country that culminate in the top 32 players in the rankings competing in a grand final in October for the overall title.