CLARRIE Dunbar are bidding for a fourth Wessex League crown in nine seasons, having reached the play-off finals again last weekend at Weymouth.

The Central region champions booked their place in the Sunday, April 9 showdown at City and County of Bristol Indoor Bowls Club against Midlands champions Kingsthorpe (Northants) with a 70-68 victory over Coastal region champions Bournemouth.

Graham Shadwell’s rink led the Dunbar victory charge with an easy success, going 19-2 up after 10 ends and finally winning 31-9.

Clarrie’s other victors were the foursome of Peter Hooley, Ian and Terry Perkins plus skip Russell Francis, who were 17-9 up at 15 ends but pegged back to only win 17-14 at 18 ends.

Dunbar lost on the other two rinks, with skips Andy Colebrooke and Neil Collett going down by six and 17 shots respectively.

l THREE Clarrie combinations missed out on winning a national championship title in the block of all-England finals held at Melton & District this week.

The foursome of Jeanette Wheeler, Debbie Shadwell, Kim Smith and skip Marcia Hartley went out in the last eight of the national fours championships.

In their opening game, they won comfortably 20-11 against Adur (Bognor Regis, W Sussex).

A few hours later, they faced old rivals Torquay United in the quarter-finals and made a good start, leading 6-3 after only three ends and 7-5 at five, however they were pegged back and trailed 8-9 at halfway and then floundered to trail 17-10 at 13.

From then on, it was a case of playing catch up, with Clarrie ladies finally losing 23-12.

Clarrie had representatives in both the ladies and men’s triples championships last 16 on Monday but both exited the tournament at Melton on day one.

The ladies team of Debbie Shadwell, Kim Smith and lead Jeanette Wheeler won their first game narrowly on the last end with a count of two to beat Yeovil 15-14 after 16 ends, but lost in the quarter-finals 26-8 to South Forest (Mansfield, Notts) a few hours later.

The men’s trio of Craig Hadfield-Doughty, Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell did not survive the first round of the last 16, losing 18-7 to the triple of Kevin Rands, Danny Brown and Billy Jackson (Lincoln).

The Dunbar trio made a poor start and trailed Lincoln 10-1 after only five ends and were forced to play catch up from early on.

They were 13-3 down at halfway and 18-7 adrift at 15 ends when a halt was called.

Clarrie have one more chance this week, with Marcia Hartley having reached the last 16 in the ladies singles championship on Friday. She is set to play Tilbury’s (Essex) Elaine Score in the last 16.

In the block of national finals being staged at Nottingham from April 7-16, Clarrie have representatives in the men’s Over 60s fours (Duncan Baxter, Alan Brown, Glen Jones and Duncan McGovern) and in the ladies Over 60s Pairs (Sue Bird and Jeanette Wheeler).

While on the team front, Clarrie’s Top Club side are through to a home meeting against Torquay United in the quarter-finals on April 16.