LOCAL clubs Christie Miller and Clarrie Dunbar endured mixed fortunes last Sunday at Bristol in the last two inter-area finals to gain qualification for a place in the men’s 2015/16 national indoor championships, writes DAVE EATON.

The latter were successful and secured a place in the last 16 of the nationals fours championship at Melton & District (Leics) in April but the Christie Miller team missed out in their bid in the triples.

Christie Miller trio of Steve Snook, Darren Anteney and Wayne Snook (skip) had to give second best last Sunday afternoon to Taunton Deane’s team of Matt Hamilton, James Avery and England international and world number four Rob Paxton (skip) losing 23-4 in the inter-area final of the fours played at City and County of Bristol.

However, in the evening this Taunton Deane side plus Dan Burch at number two in the line-up were beaten 19-17 by Clarrie Dunbar quartet John Freeman, Brian Hawkins, Keith Bailey and Barry Barry (skip) in the inter-area of the national fours championship coming from behind after a late blip to book their place at Melton Mowbray.

The Dunbar foursome led by Barry Barry made a fine start and boosted by two threes on ends one and two led Taunton Deane 7-2 at five ends.

They were 12-7 up at halfway (11 ends) and 14-8 ahead after 14 and looking extremely comfortable.

But then they dropped a five on the next followed by counts of three and one to trail 17-14 after 17 ends.

However, the Clarrie foursome re-grouped and did not conceded again picking three singles and a two on ends 18-21 to secure a 19-17 victory and a last 16 place at Melton Mowbray in the fours national championships from April 11-12.

This success means Clarrie Dunbar will be represented in five events in the final two blocks of the national championships due to be staged over the Easter period at Nottingham and at Melton & District from April 8-17.

Dunbar players have qualified for Nottingham in two Over 60s events – men’s singles (John Freeman) and men’s pairs Dick Discombe, Duncan McGovern and substitute Alan Whittock.

At Melton & District in the main championship events Graham Shadwell has reached the last 32 in the singles and men’s pairs with Craig Hadfield-Doughty.

The loss at Bristol last Sunday by the Christie Miller trio led by Wayne Snook in the inter-area final of the triples means the Melksham club will only contest the latter stages in one national men’s competition.

Miller trio of Chris Easton, Nigel Price and Andy Moore will compete in the last 16 of the men’s Over 50 triples in Nottingham on March 28-29.

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

SEVERAL players from the Clarrie Dunbar and Christie Miller clubs will be competing in the third annual North Wilts Open Singles Tournament, which is part of the nationwide Open Singles Circuit, this weekend at Westcroft, Chippenham.

The former club have six players taking part including Keith Bailey, Andy Colebrooke and Brian Hawkins while Christie Miller have three - Andy Moore, Paul Macdonald and Chris Easton, plus one of their ex-indoor players Steve Remington now playing out of Swindon Westlecot.

Dunbar’s Keith Bailey, the inaugural North Wilts open singles winner in 2014 will be chasing a second title and top prize of £1,000.

He plays Robert Hicks in his opening match on Saturday at noon while Hawkins, a regular competitor on the Open Singles Circuit (OSC) has a very interesting first round tie as he faces one of North Wilts top ladies players Alex Jacobs.

But Colebrooke, recent runner-up in the Clarrie Dunbar Open and a twice previous winner on the OSC will be involved in possibly the top tie of the Saturday morning session.

He faces Swindon Westlecot’s Neil Smith, winner of this season’s Barwell OSC title, twice runner-up in the OSC grand finals in 2014 and 2015 and currently fifth in the OSC ranking this season.

Christie Miller’s Andy Moore also faces a tough first round tie as he has to meet Reading’s Lloyd Sabatini. The England junior international was the winner of the Cambridge Park Open Singles two weeks ago.

Moore was the best of the local bowlers who competed last weekend in the Bristol Open singles tournament losing in the semi-finals.

He won his first three matches comfortably 2-0 in sets, but in the fourth (quarter-finals) was taken to a tie breaker before beating Martin Shepherd (Chipping Norton) 2-1 (3-8, 8-5, 2-0).

Moore’s fine run ended in the semi-finals when beaten 2-0 (8-10, 3-7) by Welford-on-Avon’s Martin Timms who went on to win the final beating home player Bristol’s Paul Bryant 2-0 (7-3,7-5).