IT WAS a weekend of mixed fortunes for Clarrie Dunbar men and women in their quest for silverware, writes DAVE EATON.

The ladies followed in the men’s footsteps by winning the Somerset County Double Rinks competition, but the men, defending their overall Wessex League crown, lost in the play-offs semi-finals.

After big wins over Watchet (59-27) in the quarter-final and Donyatt (46-25) in the semi-finals, Clarrie Ladies came up trumps against Taunton Deane at Victoria (Street).

The foursome of Teresa King, Ailsa Midwinter, Marcia Hartley and Jeanette Wheeler beat Sue Evans 24-16, while Debbie Shadwell, Shirley Samuels, Kim Smith and Ann Jones defeated Di Routley 23-18 to give Clarrie an overall 47-34 victory.

The men though, bowed out of the Wessex League play-offs 81-66 to Devon side Exonia.

Showing three changes to the one that beat MidGlos 83-62 in the quarter-finals, Dunbar lost on all four rinks in Plymouth.

Exonia will meet Cotswold in the final at Rugby IBC on April 27.

In the other semi-final played at West Berks (Newbury) Cotswold (Stroud) beat Kingsthorpe (Northampton) 88-66.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Dick Discombe, Trevor Batchelor, Keith Bailey & Russell Francis lost to Kevin Phillips 19-20. Rink 2: John Freeman, Alan Colebrooke, Duncan McGovern & Andy Colebrooke lost to W Davis 15-21. Rink 3: Andy Taylor, Ian Perkins, Dale Taylor & Terry Perkins lost to Jamie Chestney 14-18. Rink 4: Brian Hawkins, Alan Brown, Fred Pope & Neil Collett lost to Matt Bass 18-22.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar lost to Exonia 66- 81.

HOPES of another national title success for the Clarrie Dunbar club have been ended for another indoor season.

Craig Doughty and Graham Shadwell missed out in the national pairs championship, while John Freeman, Keith Bailey, Andrew Colebrooke and Russell Francis went out in the last 16 of the national fours event.

Doughty and Shadwell were 10-6 down at ten ends to Kevin Cash and Mark Sebley (Cambs Chesterton) in their last 32 match at Melton & District last weekend and were heading out of the competition as they trailed 18-10 at 15 ends.

But then staged a fightback to collect another 12 shots and not concede any for a 22-18 victory.

However, despite leading 5-2 at five ends in their last 16 match against Mark Jones and Andrew Kirtland (Darlington) they were 15-12 down at 15 ends and eventually lost 23-18.

In the fours last 16 this Monday Francis’ rink led Watford 4-2 at five ends and 7-6 at ten but had crumbled to trail 17-8 at 15 and could never get back into the match and lost 21-14.

Shadwell and Francis did have the consolation of having picked-up the Somerset County Men’s Pairs title last week.

In their delayed final the duo beat Matt Hamilton and England international Rob Paxton on their own green at Taunton Deane 17-14 in a very close final.

The success means Clarrie Dunbar men have won four of the six county competition titles this season following the previous weekends successes of Keith Bailey (men’s singles), Dale Taylor (Under 25 singles) and the men in the county double rinks final. The only ones to escape tem were men’s triples and fours.

THIS weekend sees the 2013/14 indoor season come to an end with the staging of the annual Clarrie Dunbar indoor club championships and competitions.

The semi-finals were being been staged this week.

Finals weekend starts tomorrow morning with the mixed competitions and concludes on Sunday evening with the “blue riband” singles finals – the two winners of the men’s and ladies singles events will have the honour of representing the club in next season’s national champion of champions competition.

DETAILS OF THE MATCHES FROM FINALS WEEKEND WILL APPEAR AT WILTSHIRETIMES.CO.UK/SPORT ON FRIDAY