CLARRIE Dunbar men gained revenge for a seven-shot defeat to Bristol a week earlier in the Denny Cup with victory in the Wessex League – but Christie Miller went down to their second defeat in a row, writes DAVE EATON.

Previous winners of the overall Wessex League title in 2009 and 2013 Clarrie just had the edge over Bristol in a nip and tuck league affair as they led by six shots 35-29 across the board at ten ends but only held a two shot advantage 53-51 at 15.

This was cut to only one 65-64 at 18 but the Standerwick-based club held-off Bristol’s challenge to claim a hard-fought 77-75 success and collect 12 of the 16 points on offer.

Rink honours were shared with each club winning one match at home and one away. Clarrie’s Andy Colebrooke led his home rink to a 13 shots success while Graham Shadwell’s away foursome won by five.

Clarrie now head the central region table one shot clear of Nailsea who pulled off a surprise 81-71 win over Christie Miller to leave the Melksham side still seeking their first Wessex win of the 2014/15 campaign.

Christie managed to claim four points from rink wins by Paul Macdonald away (12 shots) and Brian Routledge home (on shot) but Justin Davis lost at Melksham by four shots while Andy Moore’s rink crashed by a decisive 19 shots in Nailsea to tip the scales against the Millermen.

RESULTS

Clarrie Dunbar v Bristol

Home - Rink 2: Peter Hooley, Alan Brown, John Freeman & Keith Bailey lost to Paul Bryant 13-26. Rink 3: Mick Maslen, Alan Colebrooke, Dale Taylor & Andy Colebrooke beat Mike Smith 24-11.

Away - Rink 1: Dick Discombe, Colin Easton, Craig Doughty & Russell Francis lost to Barry Barry 19-22. Rink 2: Andy Taylor, Brian Hawkins, Fred Pope & Graham Shadwell beat Eric Seaville 21-16.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar beat Bristol 77(14pts) - 75(4pts)

Christie Miller v Nailsea

Home - Rink 1: Malcolm Hole, Dave Hayward, Wayne Snook & Justin Davis lost to John Crouch 16-20. Rink 2: Tom Newman, Bob Pratt, Graham Archard & Brian Routledge beat Debroy Gregory 16-15.

Away - Rink 1: John Bailey, Adrian Bolwell, Paul Barnes & Andy Moore lost 13-32. Rink 2: Chris Easton, Mike Savin, Nigel Price & Paul Macdonald won 26-14.

Score: Christie Miller lost to Nailsea 71 (4pts) - 81 (14pts).

OTHER RESULTS: Purnell 65 (4) North Wilts 81 (14).

NEXT FIXTURES

Sunday December 7: Clarrie Dunbar v North Wilts; Thornbury v Christie Miller; Bristol v Purnell.

CHRISTIE Miller men clash with Thornbury twice in the next week.

The two sides meet tomorrow (Saturday) in the second round of the Denny Plate, national inter-club championship.

After both sides went out of the main Denny Cup competition, they both seized a second chance with both hands in the consolation Plate competition.

Christie Miller beat North Wilts 88-74 in the opening round of the Denny Plate while Thornbury accounted for Purnell 95-69 in their first round tie.

The prize on offer to the winners tomorrow is a third round tie against MidGlos or Carterton.

Following this dress rehearsal Christie and Thornbury then meet again on Sunday December 7 in the third round of central group fixtures in the Wessex League.

Meanwhile Clarrie Dunbar mixed team will be seeking revenge again on Sunday over Bristol when they face each other in the third round of the Egham Trophy.

When the two mixed sides meet recently in the national Top Club competition the Gloucestershire side ran-out 10 points to 6 victors.

CLARRIE Dunbar Ladies produced a tremendous fightback against North Wilts ladies last week to progress in the national inter-club knock-out team competition for the Mason Trophy.

They won by two shots as they ran out 39-37 winners.

In the Over 60s Double Rink competition they trailed 12-8 at five ends and 27-13 at ten and looked in grave danger of going out as Ailsa Midwinter’s rink at Chippenham was 17-7 down while at home Teresa King was 10-6 down.

However, in the next eight ends they turned the match completely around as Midwinter cut her gap to 20-17 while King forged 15-12 ahead to make the overall scores tied 32-32 at 18 ends across the board.

And with Midwinter collecting another seven shots and not conceding any in the last three ends Clarrie Dunbar edged home by two shots for a hard fought 39-37 victory.

Clarrie will now play Thornbury A in the next round by December 19.

RESULTS

Home: Jeanette Wheeler, Margaret Gatfield, Cathy Hill & Teresa King lost to Norma Rowden, Jane Taylor, Irene Button & Jean Collier 15-17.

Away: Lynn Baxter, Maggie Morgan, Sue Bird & Ailsa Midwinter beat Viv Baskerville, Margaret Walker, Isabel Dawson & Janet Hardie 24-20.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar beat North Wilts 39-37.

WILTSHIRE men were beaten in the opening round of the Liberty Trophy away against Hampshire.

They lost the first round inter-county championship tie last Saturday by nine shots as they went down 111-102 at Palmerston IBC, Fareham.

Wiltshire trailed for most of the match by between 15 to 20 shots but did stage a second-half revival to get within three shots towards the end but lost out in the run-in to go down finally by nine shots.

The all-Christie Miller rink of Nigel Price, Paul Macdonald, Steve Remington and Andy Moore registered Wiltshire’ s biggest win with a 20-13 success while Neil Smith’s all-Westlecot rink was close on their heels with a 25-19 victory meanwhile Dave Snell’s rink drew 16-16.

SIx Clarrie players - Russell Francis, Dale Taylor, Craig Doughty, Graham Shadwell, Terry Perkins and Andy Colebrooke were members of the Somerset team that lost in the Liberty Trophy to Dorset 125-105.