DEFENDING champion Graham Shadwell has been knocked out of the Premier Threes national indoors open singles championship, writes DAVE EATON.

He scooped the Threes title and £3,000 first prize at Erewash IBC (Long Eaton, Notts) last December but has missed-out on reaching the final stages there again this year in December.

The Trowbridge bowler who plays outdoors for Spencer Moulton (Bradford-on-Avon) and won this year’s national men’s triples crown along with colleagues Andy Colebrooke and Russell Francis, but plays indoors during the winter just over the border into Somerset for Clarrie Dunbar fell in the semi-finals of the Premier Threes qualifier staged at Swale (Sittingbourne, Kent) last week.

Shadwell won his open match beating Scott Edwards (Adur, Southwick, Sussex) 2-0 but lost out in the semi-final to Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ellen Faulkner (City of Ely) 2-0. Faulkner went on to win the final of her section 2-0 to book a place at Erewash in December in the final stages along with Perry Martin (Swale) who won the other section of the draw.

Teams from Clarrie Dunbar set out this week on the road which they hope will lead to glory in two national senior competitions.

The ladies B team face Purnell B in the opening round of the Mason Trophy, ladies over 60s inter-club double rinks knock-out competition.

Meanwhile the men’s B team meet Thornbury in the first round of the men’s over 60s national double rinks competition.

Clarrie's men made a fine start in the defence of their Somerset County League Division 1 title.

In the first match of the 2014/15 campaign the defending champions recorded a comprehensive 34 shots victory over local rivals Purnell (Paulton) as they ran-out 92-58 victors.

After a slow start and trailing by five shots at five ends Clarrie hit back to hold a ten shots lead at ten. They then pulled away to lead by 25 after 15 ends and finally register a 34 shots success.

Dunbar took the plaudits on all four rinks (two home and two away) to collect a maximum 16 points with Mick Maslen’s rink recording the biggest winning margin of 12 shots.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 1: Peter Hooley, Steve Morton, Kevin Brixey & Mick Maslen beat H Lorimer 21-9. Rink 2: Dick Discombe, Duncan Baxter, Alan Brown & Francis Parker beat J Matthews 24-15.

Away - Rink 1: John Jones, Keith Windel, Brian Hawkins & Fred Pope beat R Richards 30-19. Rink 2: Keith Haines, Ray Dando, John Smith & Colin Easton beat J Bradley 17-15.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar 92 (16pts) - Purnell 58 (0pts).