NATIONAL champions in the ladies pairs five seasons ago, the North Wilts Indoor Club’s top partnership of Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs are on the national trophy title trail again.

The duo had already qualified for the last 16 at this year’s ladies championship at Melton & District in early April in two events - pairs with a 27-9 inter-area win over Corrine Williams and Karone Malone (Victoria, Street) and triples along with Janet Hardie with an 18-13 inter-area win over St Andrews (Weston-super-Mare).

Now Cooke and Jacobs have completed a treble by reaching the last eight in the ladies over 50s two wood triples competition at Nottingham later this month along with Jean Collier as the lead.

The Area 30 and section 29/30 inter-area two wood triples champions were always in control of their regional final staged at Street on Sunday against the trio of Beryl Willis, Gillian Callaghan and Maureen Robertson from Mid-Devon IBC (Tiverton).

They won the first two ends to lead 3-0 but dropped a three on the fifth to go 3-2 down - the only time they trailed in the match.

Collier, Cooke and Jacobs hit back to move 11-7 up at 11 ends and were 14-10 ahead at 15 before collecting a two on the 16th and a single on the 18th and last end for a 17-12 success.

Cooke and Jacobs have appeared previously in three national championship events in the latter stages before but never four.

This week they are competing in the regional final of the national fours championship.

Cooke, Jacobs and Janet Hardie, who together with Carol Grenfell as lead won the national fours crown in 2008 at Loddon Vale (Basingstoke), were due with Molly Manning as lead in place of Grenfell to face Cassidy Lenton, Liz Lock, Ruth Rogers and Barbara Bellamy (Torquay United) last night (Wednesday) at Taunton Deane (6.30pm) in the regional final of the fours.

A place at Melton Mowbray in the last eight was the prize at stake.