THE quartet of Debbie Shadwell, Kim Smith, Russell Francis and Andy Colebrooke have qualified for the last 16 and final stages of the national mixed fours competition, writes DAVE EATON.

Clarrie Dunbar’s rink followed up their 22-18 success over Gary Jay’s foursome from Clevedon in the Area 30 final with a crushing 26-10 victory in the inter-area final against Area 29 winners Helen McDermaid, Norma Webber, Sam Steel and skip Andrew Rendell (Watchet) at Victoria, Street on Sunday afternoon.

The Clarrie quartet move forward to the final stages of the national mixed fours being staged at Lincoln & District IBC over the weekend of February 20-22.

Hoping to join them at Lincoln over the same weekend are fellow Clarrie Dunbar players, husband and wife pairing of Thelma and Keith Bailey.

They won the Area 30 mixed pairs title with a one-shot victory over Bristol and now face Kirsty Hembrow and Rob Paxton (Taunton Deane) in the inter-area final at Street on Sunday (3pm) with the winners claiming a last 16 spot at Lincoln & District.

Keith Bailey, together with Brian Hawkins and John Freeman, are in the inter-area Over 50s triples final against St Andrews (Weston-super-Mare) skipped by Barrie Forse, the Area 29 winners, just one step away from the final stages and last 16 in Nottingham from March 23-24.

Elsewhere, Russell Francis and Andy Colebrooke are through to the Area 30 pairs final after a 23-16 semi-final win over Clarrie Dunbar teammate Dale Taylor and his partner last week.

But Colebrooke, with Taylor and John Freeman, lost in the area triples semi-final to Christie Miller’s Justin Davis and Steve and Wayne Snook 16-13 who will meet the winners of the Clarrie Dunbar (Craig Doughty, Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell) and Nick Pearce (Clevedon) tie in the area final to be played by February 15.

Christie’s fours team of Wayne Simmonds, Justin Davis, Steve and Wayne Snook were beaten 24-3 in the area 30 fours semi-final by a Bristol quartet skipped by Barry Barry.

Miller’s Andy Moore who will compete in the final stages (last 16) of the national champion of champions competition at the end of this month at Warner Leisure, Hayling Island is through to the final of the Area 30 singles championships against Barry Barry (Bristol).

He booked his final spot on Tuesday night when he beat Shadwell (Clarrie Dunbar) 21-17 in the area singles semi-finals.

In the ladies national competitions the Christie Miller trio of Wendy Gaisford, Bev Lilley and Sheila Garlick lost 20-12 in the Area 30 final of the Over 50s two wood triples to Jean Collier, Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs (North Wilts).