CLARRIE Dunbar continue to enhance their reputation as one of the top clubs in the country in mixed national team competitions.

In the past three seasons, they have reached the last eight stages in both the Top Club and Egham Trophy mixed events.

This season, Dunbar are on the charge again and face Westlecot in the Top Club away in Swindon on Sunday.

While in the Egham Trophy, they have reached the third round and a meeting with St Andrews (Weston-Super-Mare) on November 25.

To date they have thrashed Clevedon 84-45 in round one and North Wilts 93-57 in round two last Sunday.

The Standerwick-based club were always in control against Chippenham-based North Wilts.

They led 17-14 after five ends, 41-23 at 10 and 70-51after 15, before finally winning 93-57 at the allotted 21 ends.

Clarrie completed a clean sweep, winning on all four rinks contested.

Top rink honours went to the foursome of Jeanette Wheeler, Sue Bird Bird, Ian Perkins and skip Russell Francis, who notched a 17 shot win.

A busy weekend is in store for Clarrie Dunbar in team competitions.

The men face Malvern Hills in the Denny Cup, while in the women’s equivalent for the Yetton Trophy, Dunbar face Nailsea.

Clarrie's ladies are also still running in the Mason Trophy – O60s ladies double rinks – and play Bristol or MidGlos B in round two on December 7.

  • EIGHT players with Wiltshire connections took part in the inaugural Open Singles Circuit Masters event held last Sunday in Dorset at Dolphin IBC (Poole).

They were Chris and Andy Moore (North Wilts), Graham Shadwell (Clarrie Dunbar), Tom Warner and Gary Fountain (Five Rivers, Salisbury) and Westlecot Swindon trio of Phil Gregory, Neil Smith and Mike Titcombe.

A prize pot of £4,800 was on offer, with £2,000 going to the winner and £1,000 to the runner-up, and drew a field of 43 entrants, including five of the top 18 in the world rankings.

Trowbridge’s Shadwell was the first local to be eliminated, losing 2-0 in sets in the preliminary round to Wayne Willgress (Norwich, Norfolk).

Andy Moore was the next local to bite the dust, losing in round one to OSC regular Scott Edwards (Oxford C&C) 2-0.

But his brother, Chris, enjoyed a good run in the tournament, winning two games before losing in the quarter-finals to Westlecot’s Smith in a tie-breaker.

He beat Salisbury’s Warner in a tight game 2-0 and then knocked out Danny Denison (Torquay Utd) 2-1 on a tie-breaker.

But his run was ended in the last eight by Wiltshire county indoor player/manager Smith losing 2-1.

However, Moore received £200 for reaching the quarter-finals.

Smith was then beaten in the semis in a tie-breaker 2-1 by world number seven Jamie Chestney (Exonia, Devon), who went on to win the final 2-0 beating Westlecot’s Phil Gregory.