THE Clarrie Dunbar club were in brilliant fine form last weekend at the men’s annual county indoor championship finals held at Taunton Deane Indoor Bowls Club, winning a hat-trick of titles, writes DAVE EATON.

They retained the Somerset Double Rinks beating St Andrews (Weston-super-Mare) in the final, while Dale Taylor and Keith Bailey won the junior and senior men’s singles respectively.

Clarrie were eyeing a fourth title last night (Thursday) as the delayed county pairs final featuring Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell against Matt Hamilton and Rob Paxton from the host club was due to be played at Taunton Deane.

Reigning champions Clarrie were always in charge of their double rinks final against St Andrews.

They led 11-6 across the board on both rinks after five ends and extended that to 23-11 at ten and 32-18 at 15.

Dunbar finally ran-out 40-23 victors with Keith Bailey’s rink winning by 12 shots and Terry Perkins’ rink by five.

It was the third successive year that Clarrie Dunbar had won the county double rinks inter-club knockout competition.

Dale Taylor retained his county men’s Under 25 singles title but was pushed all the way in the final by Bristol’s Reece White.

The match had been close throughout and came down to the very last wood with Taylor holding a narrow 20-19 lead.

However, on the 23rd end, White was holding game call as he had drawn in the two shots he needed to take the title.

On the brink of defeat Taylor snatched victory out of the fire with his last wood delicately trailing the jack to one of his own woods and following through for a second shot.

Dunbar’s treble of county indoor titles was completed by Bailey, who has struck a rich vein of form recently.

He followed up his national planetbowls victory at the North Wilts Open Singles Tournament the previous Sunday, with a comfortable 22-12 victory in the men’s county singles championship over Clevedon’s Gary Jay.

It was the third year in a row that Clarrie has supplied the county men’s singles champion as Duncan McGovern won it in 2012 and John Freeman last year. Bailey has never won the singles title before but was runner-up in 2011.

RESULTS Double Rinks Final Rink 1: John Freeman, Brian Hawkins, Duncan McGovern & Keith Bailey beat Barrie Forse 24-12. Rink 2: Andrew and Dale Taylor, Craig Doughty & Terry Perkins beat Don Bailey 16-11.

Score: Clarrie Dunbar (holders) beat St Andrews (WsM) 40-23.

Men’s Singles Final: Keith Bailey (Clarrie D) beat Gary Jay (Clevedon) 22-12.

Men’s U25 Final: Dale Taylor (holder, Clarrie) beat Reece White (Bristol) 22-19.

A HECTIC week is in store for Clarrie Dunbar men both on the national and regional front.

Craig Doughty and Graham Shadwell begin their bid for glory in the national pairs championship at Melton & District on Friday.

They were due to play In their opening match in the last 32 (2pm) Kevin Cash and Mark Sebley (Cambs Chesterton).

If successful they would then face either Darlington or Barking in the second round on Saturday morning at 9am.

Shadwell has won two national indoor titles before. He won the champion of champions in 2004/05 and last year while he was runner-up in both the singles (2006/07) and triples (2007/08).

On Monday, the foursome of John Freeman, Keith Bailey, Andrew Colebrooke and Russell Francis set-out on their quest for glory in the national fours championship at Melton.

They meet Jason Harwood, Bradley and Martin Coles and skip Mark Yelland from Watford (12.30pm) and if successful would face either Alfreton or Isle of Wight in the quarter-finals at 6pm.

However, In between this national championship activity reigning champions Clarrie Dunbar have a little matter of a Wessex League play-offs semi-final on Sunday at Plymouth (11am) against Exonia (Exeter).

Clarrie’s actually line-up for the semi-final will depend on the fortunes of the pairs and fours at Melton Mowbray.

On Saturday, Clarrie Dunbar ladies will be hoping to emulate the men’s success last weekend.

They face Taunton Deane in the final of the Somerset Womens County Inter-Club Double Rinks against Taunton Deane (10am) on the neutral green at the Victoria Club (Street).

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