ALEX Jacobs begins her bid for a hat-trick of ladies national titles at Royal Leamington Spa this Saturday.

The Box star bowler from Chapel Plaister lifted the ladies senior (O55s) singles crown in 2014 with a comfortable 21-9 win in the final over Sue Latham (Olveston, Glos) and added an impressive 21-15 victory in the final against Lancashire’s Eleanor Benvie (Bolton).

The 60-year-old has been drawn in the first round (last 32) on Saturday morning against Janet Ballard (Waterside BC, Holbury Southampton) and, if successful, would then face Barbara Clutterbuck (Meldreth, Royston, Cambs) or Christine Hardman (Bolton, Lancs) in the last 16 .

The quarter-finals, semis and final are all scheduled for Sunday.

Jacobs has qualified for no fewer than six events at Royal Leamington Spa.

She has already played in the ladies fours championship, going out early with Box colleagues Carol Grenfell, Karen Funnell and Sue Cooke losing 24-16 to Bideford (N Devon).

On Wednesday in the ladies champion of champions competition, she beat Ann Halliday (Cambridge Park, Surrey) 21-16 in the last 16 but was edged out in the quarter-finals on the last end by Caroline Campion (Banbury Central), losing 21-20.

Jacobs competes in the ladies two wood singles next Tuesday and returns to Leamington at the end of August for the mixed pairs with Box colleague Ian Higgins and as a skip for Box in the Tony Allcock Trophy O60s double rinks.

Meanwhile, Spencer Moulton’s Russell Francis has quailed for the men’s national championships at Leamington later in the month in the pairs and triples but has missed out on a third event.

He lost out on a last 32 spot at Leamington in the men’s champion of champions event when beaten 21-20 in the Dorset & Wilts area final despite leading the match at one stage 18-13.