ALEX Jacobs has claimed the last place available in the age group section of Area 16 at the national indoor championships in Nottingham from April 7-16.

The North Wilts ladies player, who has featured in all four of the Chippenham-based club’s four indoor title successes, looked as though she could miss out on a place at the nationals this season for the first time for many years.

However, she was not to be denied as she recorded a comfortable 21-13 victory last Saturday at Cotswold IBC (Stroud) over Malvern Hills’ Julie Morgan in the Area 16 final of the O60 ladies singles.

Jacobs moves forward to the last 16 at Nottingham on Friday, April 13 where she will face former winner Carol Baker (Norfolk IBC, Norwich) in the first round.

Also in the ladies national championships, Area 16 will be represented by Clarrie Dunbar’s Teresa King in the blue riband singles event at Melton & District on Friday where she will face England junior international Rebecca Moorbey (St Noets & District, Cambs) in the last 16.

While King, plus Sue Bird and Jeanette Wheeler, begin their bid for glory in the O50s triples at Nottingham on April 9 against a trio of Sue Mart, Jayne Lee and Pam Cutts from host club Nottingham.

King’s trio qualified with a thumping 24-9 victory in the Area 16 final over a Thornbury side led by Fran Stockford.

  • GRAHAM Shadwell is representing the club in Area 16 this week at Melton & District and participating in three men’s national championship events – triples, pairs and singles.

The Clarrie Dunbar star is a twice champion of champions indoor singles winner but has already exited the last 16 of the triples competition.

Together with Craig Doughty and Russell Francis, they lost 19-18 to Westlecot in the first round on Monday.

They came from 12-9 down at 10 ends to lead 15-14 at 15 but finished the 18 ends match tied 18-18 against Wiltshire county outdoor colleagues Mel Biggs, Ian Jefferies and Neil Smith, who snatched victory on the extra end.

Shadwell was due back on the green at Melton on Wednesday and Thursday with Russell Francis in the pairs championship, starting off against Paul Field and England’s men’s captain Andy Thomson (Cyphers, Beckenham, Kent).

While on Friday he competes in the singles first round against John Stewart (Essex County IBC, Westcliff-on-sea).

  • THE annual North Wilts indoor club championships will be staged next on the weekend of April 7-8.

A programme of the 13 finals has still to be finalised as several semi-finals are still to be completed.

  • TWO tournaments on the Open Singles Circuit (OSC) will be held over the Easter period at Torquay United and Dolphin (Poole).

Both of the recent winners of the Clarrie Dunbar open singles and North Wilts open singles, Westlecot’s Mike Titcombe and Christie Miller’s Andy Moore respectively, are due to compete, as are several other players from Clarrie Dunbar, North Wilts and Swindon Westlecot.

The players will be chasing the £1,000 first prizes as well as OSC ranking points with the aim of a top-32 end-of-season finish to clinch a place in the Grand Final at Potters Leisure Resort, Norfolk, in November.