CLARRIE Dunbar's dream of reaching an indoor final in a national team competition for the very first time in their 31-year history is over for another season, writes DAVE EATON.

They crashed to a heavy 99-54 defeat last Sunday at the hands of Kent side Swale (Sittingbourne) in the semi-finals of the Egham Trophy, national mixed inter-club championship played at Egham in Surrey.

To complete a miserable weekend for Clarrie Dunbar, the men’s side at the Standerwick-based club, the reigning Wessex League champions lost 24 hours earlier on Saturday in the first round (last 16) of this season’s play-offs to wild card entrants Dorchester.

The central region champions once more Clarrie Dunbar went down by six shots in a surprise 82-76 loss to Dorchester, who only finished third in the coastal region behind Moonfleet (Weymouth) and Dolphin (Poole).

However, Dorchester were easily one of the four best non-qualifiers and awarded a wild card into the last 16 to contest the play-offs for the overall 2015/16 Wessex League title.

Dunbar, who beat Exeter side Exonia in last year’s overall final, took the honours on two rinks against Dorchester with Neil Collett skipping his quartet away to a five-shot win and Russell Francis leading his four at home at Clarrie to a four shots success.

While away at Dorchester Graham Shadwell’s rink were edged out by one shot but the 14 shot loss suffered by Andy Colebrooke’s foursome at home proved decisive in the final analysis.

In the quarter-finals in the play-offs Dorchester will now face Newbury side West Berks this coming Sunday.

Clarrie Dunbar will have been extremely disappointed at their loss to Swale in the semi-finals of the Egham Trophy, but can still look back with pride at their achievement at reaching the last four in the competition.

The club opened its doors in 1985, but had only reached its first ever semi-final in a national team event for the first time a fortnight earlier.

That was when the mixed side beat Portsmouth side Victory by 13 shots as they ran-out 78-65 winners in the Egham Trophy quarter-finals.

On this record-breaking run to the last four, Clarrie's mixed Egham side had beaten Purnell 108-40, Clevedon 76-69 and North Wilts 97-75.

In the fourth round thumped St. Andrews (Weston-super-Mare) 90-61 and followed that up in the last 16 with a superb 74-59 victory when knocking out holders Torquay United and added Portsmouth side Victory to the list with their 78-65 quarter-final success.

“Yes, it was very disappointing to lose like that to Swale,” said Clarrie proprietor and manager Brian Hawkins.

“They are an extremely strong club with several internationals in their team while we are a small club and were missing a couple of players.

“The scores were pretty even early on and tied after three ends but they then pulled away between ends four and ten to go around 40 shots up.

“This meant the game was virtually over at the halfway point and we were struggling.”

Hawkins added: “But it was still a fine achievement for Clarrie Dunbar to get that far in a national team competition for the very first time.”

RESULTS

Clarrie Dunbar v Dorchester Home - Rink 2: Peter Hooley, Colin Easton, Barry Barry & Russell Francis beat C Gifford 21-17. Rink 3: John Jones, Alan Brown, Dale Taylor & Andy Colebrooke lost to Nick Voss 9-23.

Away - Rink 1: Brian Hawkins, Nick Greening, John Freeman & Neil Collett beat Alan Curtis 27-22. Rink 2: Andy Taylor, Ian Perkins, Fred Pope & Graham Shadwell lost to R Nicholas 19-20.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar lost to Dorchester 76-82.

LOCAL clubs Christie Miller and Clarrie Dunbar men’s sections have already qualified for five events in the national championships.

The Millermen trio from Melksham of Chris Easton, Nigel Price and Andy Moore were the first early in the new year when reaching the last 16 in the men’s Over 50 triples in Nottingham at the end of this month.

They were runners-up in this event to Folkstone three years ago.

While since Dunbar players have qualified for Nottingham in two Over 60s events - singles (John Freeman) and pairs.

In the main championship events Graham Shadwell has reached Melton & District (Leics) in April in the singles and men’s pairs with Craig Hadfield-Doughty.

Hoping to join Shadwell and Doughty at Melton Mowbray in April are the triples team from Christie Miller of Steve Snook, Darren Anteney and Wayne Snook as well as the fours team from Clarrie of John Freeman, Brian Hawkins, Keith Bailey and Barry Barry.

Both these triples and fours teams face Taunton Deane in the inter-area finals at Bristol City and County this Sunday in the inter-area finals – just one step away from Melton.

The Taunton Deane side in the triples (2pm) is Matt Hamilton, James Avery and Rob Paxton (skip) while in the fours (6.30pm) D Burch is added to the Deane side at number two against Clarrie Dunbar.

Completion date for the triples and fours inter-area finals is March 13 and as world number four Paxton has been away in Blackpool all this week completion in the World Bowls Tour International Open that is why both the triples and fours inter-area finals are being played on the same day at Bristol back to back.