CLARRIE Dunbar will be represented in four of the eight main national championship finals taking place over the next week at Melton & District Indoor Bowls Club in Leicestershire, writes DAVE EATON.

The main block of events - ladies and men’ singles, pairs, triples and fours - will be staged over an eight day period starting on Saturday.

Dunbar players will compete in the ladies singles, triples and fours as well as men’s triples.

Kicking off Clarrie’s bid for national glory on Saturday lunchtime at 1.30pm are the quartet of Jeanette Wheeler, Debbie Shadwell, Kim Smith and Marcia Hartwell, who face Tricia Fry, Kim Felts, Maureen Willard and Lorraine Kuhler (Adur, Bognor Regis, Sussex) in the first round (last 16).

The winner plays in round two at 5.45pm with the semis and final being staged on Sunday.

The Dunbar girls booked their place at Melton with a tight last end 16-15 win over a Clarrie foursome skipped by Teresa King in the Area 16 semi-final and edged home again in the area final with a 17-16 last-end victory over Alex Jacobs team from North Wilts to seal their place at Melton this weekend.

The same quartet minus Marcia Hartley with Jeanette Wheeler moving to skip, Debbie Shadwell to lead and Kim Smith to two compete on Monday morning March 27 (9.30am) in the last 16 of the triples against Yeovil, Somerset (Jenny Whitlock, Barbara Colby & Mary Sutton).

They won the Area 16 triples title with a superb 18-14 victory over Clevedon’s Stefanie Branfield to qualify for Melton in the triples.

Clarrie men’s triples team of Craig Hadfield-Doughty, Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell take to the green at Melton on Monday afternoon at 1.30pm versus Lincoln in the last 16.

Clarrie Dunbar men’s trio qualified for Melton with a 14-9 win over Clevedon (Nick Pearce) in the Area 16 triples final and followed it up with an inter-area 20-10 success over Area 17 winners Moonfleet (Weymouth) to book their last 16 spot.

Dunbar’s last representative at Melton is Marcia Hartley in the ladies blue riband event, ladies singles on March 31. In the last 16 she faces Elaine Score (Tilbury) at 10am with the quarter-finals at 5pm.

Hartley claimed her place at Melton with a superb Area 16 singles final win over England international Stefanie Branfield 21-13.

Clarrie will also have representation in the block of national finals being staged at Nottingham from April 8 to 14 in the ladies O60s pairs and men’s O60s fours.

They also have an interest in the mixed Top Club competition but do not face Torquay United at home in the quarter-finals until April 16.

Christie Millerwill also have the trio of Chris Easton, Nigel Price and Andy Moore competing at Nottingham in the men’s O50 national triples competition. Four years ago they finished as runners-up in this event losing in the final to former winners Folkstone.

Three-time winners of the overall Wessex League play-offs championships title in the past eight years, Clarrie Dunbar men have reached the play-offs semi-finals once more.

They have been drawn against Bournemouth and will play them on the neutral green at Moonfleet (Wymouth) this Sunday morning at 10.30am.

The other semi-final is between Swindon Westlecot and Kingsthorpe (Northants) at the same time but at Oxford City and County.

This indoor season Clarrie won the central region title easily from Bristol and in the last 16 of the play-offs beat Dolphin (Poole) comfortable 74-45 and Exonia 74-57 in the quarter-finals to book a last four slot again.

Dunbar will be hoping to reach the Wessex final again as not much travelling is involved as the final is virtually on their doorstep as it is being held on Sunday, April 9 at City and County of Bristol IBC.