GRAHAM Shadwell and Russell Francis have been invited by the England indoor team selectors to attend a senior men’s international trial at Melton & District IBC on Sunday December 7 (1pm), writes DAVE EATON.

The two play together outdoors at Spencer Moulton (Bradford-on-Avon) but indoors just over the border into Somerset at Clarrie Dunbar.

They are named at the trial together in a rink with Tye Green Harlow’s Steve Mitchinson at lead, fellow Wiltshire outdoor team member Neil Smith, who plays indoors at Westlecot at two, while Francis is named as the number three with Shadwell back in his familiar role as a skip.

Shadwell is a former England junior and senior international. He made his U25 debut in the 1994 and played at this level until 2000.

In 2001 he made his senior England debut and was a regular for eight seasons but has not featured since 2008.

But Francis has not been awarded an international cap yet.

Shadwell is a previous national indoor championship winner lifting the champion of champions trophy in both the 2004/05 and 2012/13 seasons while finishing as runner-up in the 2006/07 singles.

And together with Francis and Andy Colebrooke they were the 2007/08 runners-up in the national indoor triples - the same trio ironically landed the outdoor national triples at Leamington this summer and around last Christmas lifted the inaugural EIBA Premier Threes crown.

Last season also in national indoor championship events both Shadwell and Francis reached the final stages in the pairs and fours respectively.

Shadwell playing with Craig Doughty went out in the last 16 of the pairs, while Francis also went out in the last 16 but in the fours with John Freeman, Keith Bailey and Andy Colebrooke .

Francis will be hoping at Melton to make a favourable impression and gain his first England cap for the Home International Series next February while Shadwell after a six year gap is hoping for a re-call.

KEITH BAILEY will be seeking glory and the top prize of £1500 tomorrow (Saturday) at Boston Indoor Bowls Club.

The Clarrie Dunbar player will be competing in the invitation only planetbowls.com Grand Prix Final that will feature the top 32 players on their 2013/14 ranking list playing for a prize pot of £4,000.

Bailey finished 29th in the planetbowls.com rankings last season mainly as a result of winning the North Wilts Open Singles last March as well as having several fine runs in other events.

He will face former England international Danny Denison (Torquay Utd) who finished fifth in the rankings in his opening match at 10.30am.

Bailey warmed up well for this Saturday’s Boston Grand Prix final and clash with Denison with a fine showing at the Herga Open Singles Tournament last Sunday in Harrow, West London.

He won four matches to reach the last four but then lost in the semi-final 2-0 to Ian Honnor (Adur, Sussex).

THE NATIONAL inter-club team competitions begin in earnest this weekend with first round matches in both the ladies Yetton Trophy and mixed Egham Trophy being staged.

In the Yetton Trophy tomorrow, two rinks at home and two away, Clarrie Dunbar face a tough match against Somerset rivals Clevedon while Christie Miller face an equally hard match against Bristol.

Then on Sunday morning Christie Miller met Clevedon in a mixed Egham Trophy tie while Clarrie Dunbar lock horns with neighbours North Wilts in an Egham local derby.