CLARRIE DUNBAR’S brilliant run in national team championships and competitions continued last weekend with victories recorded in the Denny Cup and Top Club competition.

They were pushed all the way in their Denny Cup fifth round tie by Maidenhead’s Desborough before claiming a narrow 62-56 win.

While in their Top Club clash, they beat near neighbours Bristol 12-4.

Against Desborough, Clarrie Dunbar took the honours on three of the four rinks, with Russell Francis edging home at Standerwick by one shot but Andy Colebrooke’s foursome lost by 11 shots.

This deficit was wiped-out by the two away rinks skipped by Neil Collett (13 shots) and Graham Shadwell (three shots).

Dunbar made a fine start and led 26-10 after five ends and were 36-32 up at halfway. Desborough fought back to draw level after 15 ends, however, Clarrie found a little extra on the run-in for a hard-fought 62-56 success to book a place in the quarter-final against Devon side Exonia (Exeter) on Saturday, January 21.

In their mixed Top Club competition tie, Dunbar were in majestic form against Bristol taking the honours in four of the five disciplines, men’s and women’s singles, mixed pairs and mixed triples, but missed out in the mixed fours discipline.

Jeanette Wheeler and Keith Bailey gave the team a big lift early on with big wins in both the ladies and men’s singles (two points each).

Andy Colebrooke’s triple claimed a huge victory for four points, while the mixed pairing of Marcia Hartley and Neil Collett edged home by two shots for four more points to settle the tie, which easily compensated for the loss by Graham Shadwell’s mixed fours team.

In the last 16, on January 28, Clarrie will travel to Egham.

These two wins in the Denny and Top Club last weekend mean that Dunbar are still running in four national team events - ladies Mason Trophy (O60s double rinks) and mixed Egham Trophy as well as Denny Cup and Top Club. Their only team defeats have come in men’s O60s double rinks and ladies Yetton Trophy to North Wilts.

Clarrie are back in national team championship action again this weekend when the mixed team face Torquay United in the quarter-finals of the Egham Trophy on Sunday, two rinks home and two rinks away.

And they face Nailsea A on January 20, in the third round of the Mason Trophy (ladies O60s double rinks).

  • CHRISTIE MILLER men are through to round five in the men’s national Over 60s double rinks after defeating Cotswold A 34-32 on Tuesday.

The home rink of John Bailey, Bob Pratt, Roy Hawker and Dave Laws won their match 21-17 thanks to a powerful finish on the last three ends for victory.

The away rink in Stroud of Chris Easton, Richard Buckland, John Crowder and Nigel Price kept matters tight and only lost their game by two shots, ensuring an overall victory of 34-32.

Christie Miller will face Desborough in round five In previous rounds, the senior Millermen have beaten North Wilts A 37-36, Nailsea 43-34, Bristol 40-28 and Cotswold A 34-32.