CLARRIE Dunbar Indoor Club will be represented in three events at Melton & District over the next 10 days in the fifth and final block final of the 2015/16 national indoor championships, writes DAVE EATON.

The men’s section at Dunbar has previously won two national titles, courtesy of Graham Shadwell, and will be bidding for glory in the national singles, pairs and fours championships this time.

Shadwell, who has won the Champion of Champions singles title on two occasions in 2005 and 2013 and been runner-up in both the national singles in 2007 and triples in 2008, competes in two disciplines, singles and pairs championships with Craig Hadfield-Doughty.

The quartet of John Freeman, Brian Hawkins, Keith Bailey and Barry Barry (skip) contest the fours championship.

First up are Hadfield-Doughty and Shadwell (skip), who qualified with a 24-17 win over Clevedon’s Mark Woods and Nick Pearce in the Area 30 pairs final.

In the first round (last 32) of the national pairs championship today (Friday) at 2pm they face Stuart Irwin and Kevin Harrison (Carlisle, Cumbria).

If successful they would meet either Bodmin (Cornwall) or City of Ely (Cambs) in round two tomorrow morning (9.30am) with the quarter-finals set for later in the day at 6pm.

The semi-final and final are set for Sunday at 9am and 2pm respectively.

Second-up are the foursome of Freeman, Clarrie Dunbar owner Hawkins, Bailey and Barry who shocked fellow Clarrie team members Hadfield-Doughty, Andy Colebrooke, Russell Francis and Shadwell with a two on the last end to win the Area 30 fours final.

They followed that up with a hard fought 19-17 win in the inter-area fours final over Area 29 winners Taunton Deane to book their place in the last 16 at Melton & District.

Their bid for glory starts next Monday (April 11) at 1.30pm when they meet Trevor Hoy, Barry and Ian Jenkins and Steve Tuohy from top Surrey side Egham.

If successful they face a 6pm quarter-final match against either Bournemouth or Bedford Borough with the semi-final and final set for Tuesday at 10am and 3pm respectively.

The ‘blue riband’ ladies and men’s singles bring the 2015/16 national indoor championship to an end and will be played on April 15-17.

Sue Cooke represents North Wilts in the ladies singles while Shadwell bids for a third singles crown.

England international Shadwell’s two singles successes to date have come in the champion of champions singles event while he lost out in the 2012 men’s national singles championship semi-final to Kent’s Perry Martin and to Craig Docherty (Cumbria) 21-19 in the 2007 final.

He will be hoping to go one better than nine years ago and opens in the last 32 against Andrew Harding (Grattons, Crawley, W Sussex) at 10am next Friday with the second round set for 7pm, if successful, against either Tom Smith (Erewash, Long Eaton, Notts) or Adam White (Chawton Park, Alton, Hants).

The quarter and semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, April 16 with the final set for the following day at 9.30am.

Last week, in Nottingham, the fourth and penultimate block of the national championships were staged.

Christie Miller and Clarrie Dunbar were both represented but failed to reach the last four in three men’s events.

The former who had reached the final of the Over 50 triples three years ago were not as successful this time going out in their first match in the last 16 to Wey Valley (Guildford, Surrey).

The same trio of Chris Easton, Nigel Price and Andy Moore were only 13-10 down to Wey Valley at 15 ends but at 18 finally lost 19-10.

In the men’s Over 60s pairs the Clarrie duo of Dick Discombe and Alan Whitlock, substituting for the unavailable Duncan McGovern, were hit by a late surge from the West Berks (Newbury) team of Richard Kozlowski and Derek Parsonson in their last 16 match.

Discombe and Whitlock led 6-5 at five ends, 12-9 at ten and 16-14 at 15 but did not win another end after that as West Berks final flurry saw them win the last six ends and race clear to claim a 27-16 victory.

While in the Over 60s singles John Freeman won his last 16 match beating Mark Curtis (Bedford Borough) comfortably 21-7 who the previous day had lifted the O60s pairs title with his Bedford partner.

However, in a tight quarter-final match where the lead changed hands several times Freeman lost 21-19 to Keith Burton playing on his home green at Nottingham.

Burton then lost in the semi-final to David Pitt (Hounslow) who went on to retain his O60 singles crown.