THE North Wilts trio of Sue Cooke, Janet Hardie and Alex Jacobs have all moved a step closer to reaching the latter stages in several women’s national indoor championship events.

They are now just two matches away from qualifying for national finals at Northampton in late March and Melton & District in April.

Cooke has already reached the last 16 of the Ladies National Champion of Champions competition at Warner Lakeside Hayling Island at the end of this month, but is also through to Area 30 finals in three other national competitions with Jacobs and two with Hardie, who as also qualified for two other area finals as well.

Cook and Jacobs, winners of the national pairs crown in the 2009-10 season, have qualified for the Area 30 final for the third year in a row.

They edged home 20-19 In the area semi-finals against Bristol’s Ros Constant and Sue Osborne and will play Clevedon’s England U25 duo of Laura Holden and Stef Branfield, conquerors of North Wilts duo Jane Taylor and Hardie, in the area final at home at North Wilts next Friday (January 17).

After demolishing a Clevedon trio 30-5 in the semi-finals Cooke, Hardie and Jacobs will play Thornbury led by Cynthia Winter-Alsop in the area 30 triples final on January 20 in Thornbury.

Last weekend the same trio plus Val Molton beat Kim Smith’s four from Clarrie Dunbar 20-14 to book a place in the area fours final against Kath Sealey’s quartet in Thornbury on Monday.

Cooke and Jacobs plus Jean Collier have reached the Area 30 final in the Over 50 Two Wood Triples and will meet Sue Osborne’s trio from Bristol at North Wilts on January 19.

Hardie has also reached the Area 30 final in two senior ladies events, playing the Area 30 Over 60 singles final against Ros Constant (Bristol) today (10am) and the Area 30 O60s pairs final against Constant and Sue Osborne (Bristol) at home on Wednesday (2pm).

Meanwhile, North Wilts ladies team face Isle of Wedmore (Cheddar) in the last 32 of the Yetton Plate (2pm) on Saturday.

The 2008 Yetton Trophy winners can reach the last 16 in the Plate competition and a clash with either Bodmin or South Hams (Kingsbridge, Devon) on January 25.

The quartet of Val Molton, Sue Cooke, Kath Lloyd and Isabel Dawson all come into the side to replace Ann Shaw, May Brand, Ann Roberts-Phare and Margaret Walker.

TEAM

Home - Rink 1: Jan Tombs, Jane Taylor, Irene Button & Alex Jacobs. Rink 2: Molly Manning, Viv Baskerville, Barbara Shepheard & Janet Hardie.

Away - Rink 1: Norma Rowden, Val Molton, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke. Rink 2: Gill Lillicrap, Isabel Dawson, Kath Lloyd & Fizz Mace.

Reserves: Carol Massey (home) and Margaret Walker (away).

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