GRAHAM Shadwell is back playing international bowls indoors for England again this week after a break of seven years.

The Trowbridge resident who plays indoors for Clarrie Dunbar last appeared for England seniors in 2008 after an unbroken run of eight seasons that had begun in 2001 following six seasons at U25 level.

Shadwell was due to make his England return yesterday (Thursday) afternoon against Ireland in the British Isles Indoor Bowling Council Men’s International Series that is being played at Stanley IBC (Co Durham) over three days.

England face Wales today (10am) with the final match against Scotland and probably Series decider scheduled for 3pm tomorrow (Saturday).

Shadwell has been named as skip (number four) once more with his England rink consisting of lead Steve Mitchinson (Tye Green, Harlow Essex), Neil McKee (Kingsthorpe, Northampton) at number two with Stephen Farish (Cumbria,Carlisle) at three.

Unless the selectors decide to make changes during the international series this will be Shadwell’s rink for all three matches.

Fellow Clarrie Dunbar team mate Russell Francis will be travelling to Stanley with Shadwell as he is named as one of the three England men’s reserves along with John McGuinness (Desborough, Maidenhead) and Neil Smith (Swindon Westlecot) for the BIIBC Series.

THE Clarrie Dunbar duo of Francis and Shadwell are still on course to complete a unique triples double.

Together with Andy Colebrooke they lifted the English men’s national outdoor triples title at Royal Leamington Spa late last August when beating Oxfordshire side Carterton 15-14 in the triples final.

Now Francis and Shadwell with Craig Doughty as their lead in place of Colebrooke have kept their hopes alive of completing a rare triples double by qualifying for the latter stages in the national indoor triples championships at Melton & District in early April.

They were already the area triples champions after recording a 21-15 win over Andy Moore (Christie Miller), then a 22-7 success against Barry Barry (Bristol), followed by a comfortable 27-12 semi-final win over Nick Pearce (Clevedon) and beating Christie Miller’s Steve Snook, Justin Davis and Wayne Snook 22-15 in the Area 30 triples final.

Doughty, Francis and Shadwell followed this up last Wednesday by booking their place in the last 16 at Melton Mowbray with a resounding 18-6 victory over Area 29 winners Taunton Deane skipped by Robert Paxton in the inter-area final staged at Victoria IBC (Street).

The Taunton Deane trio of Matthew Hamilton, James Amery and Paxton won the first three ends and were 4-0 up.

However, on the next with Clarrie holding two shots Paxton fired to take them out but only succeeded in moving the jack sideways giving Dunbar four shots – Shadwell then drew two more so Clarrie picked up a massive count of six which completely turned the match.

Shadwell’s trio went on to win seven more ends to Taunton’s two to move 18-6 up after 13 ends.

At this juncture with still five ends remaining Taunton Deane threw in the towel having been out bowled in every department.

This victory means Clarrie Dunbar are still deeply involved in four national championship events or competitions and have reached the latter stages in them all.

They are: last 16 in men’s national triples (team as above) and last 32 in pairs (Russell Francis and Andy Colebrooke) at Melton & District in early April. Also at Nottingham IBC from March 23-26, the last 16 in both men’s Over 50s triples (Brian Hawkins, John Freeman and Keith Bailey) and ladies Over 60s pairs (Ailsa Midwinter and Teresa King).

Christie Miller father and son duo of Steve and Wayne Snook bid this weekend to reach the latter stages and last 16 in the national Generation Pairs competition at City of Ely IBC (Cambs) in late April.

They face Area 29 champions Ryan and Steve Hooper (Taunton Deane) in the inter-area final at Victoria (Street) this Sunday, March 15.

The Snooks have had three tough games and three narrow last end victories so far in order to book a place in the inter-area final with a 16-14 success over Richard and Craig Doughty (Clarrie Dunbar) and an 18-17 success over another Clarrie Dunbar duo of Andy and Dale Taylor.

Then in the Area 30 final they had another single shot 18-17 success but this time beat fellow Christie Miller club mates Joe and Tom Newman to book their place against the Hoopers in the inter-area final.

CLARRIE DUNBAR are through to the quarter-finals of the play-offs for the overall Wessex League title but only after a few scares on the way.

Winners of the Wessex crown in 2009 and 2013 and this season’s runaway central region champions Clarrie were pushed all the way last Sunday in their first round match by wildcard entrant Bromsgrove.

Forced to make several positional changes to their normal line-ups and venue switches owing to the triples inter-area final at Street later in the day Clarrie only edged home by three shots against Bromsgrove 70-67, who only finished third in the midlands regional section.

Clarrie in fact only took the honours on one of the four rinks and drew on another but the 20 shot home winning margin recorded at Standerwick by Russell Francis’ quartet proved to be decisive in the final analysis.

Dunbar move forward to the quarter-finals this Sunday and will play Loddon Vale (Basingstoke) who finished second in the east region.

RESULTS (skips only) Home - Rink 2: Graham Shadwell lost to L Whitehouse 13-22. Rink 3: Russell Francis beat J Taylor 28-8. Away- Rink 1: Andy Colebrooke drew with Steve Broome 16-16. Rink 2: Terry Perkins lost to John Cracknell 13-21.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar 70 (11pts) beat Bromsgrove 67 (5pts).

DRAW Quarter-finals (Sunday March 15) Clarrie Dunbar v Loddon Vale; Malvern v Carterton; Kingsthorpe v Exonia; Bristol v Moonfleet.