BOX’S magnificent run in the triples at the Women’s National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa and hopes of landing a national title ended at the semi-final stage, writes DAVE EATON.
The trio of Karen Funnell, Jean Collier and Carol Grenfell negotiated four hurdles but fell in the penultimate round.
They were beaten 21-7 in the semis by the powerful Devon team of Sophie Tolchard, Ruth Rogers and skipped by last year’s Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Natalie Melmore (Kings BC, Torquay).
A few hours later Melmore led her triple to the title with a 25-14 victory over Liz Garrity’s trio from Croft BC (Cockermouth, Cumbria).
The Box triple should not be too disappointed as they have achieved the best Wiltshire placing in 2011 at Leamington so far by reaching the semi-finals and recording four wins on the way.
Funnell, Collier and Grenfell clinched their place in the last four of the triples championship with a narrow 19-18 quarter-final victory over Daphne Pratt’s trio (Sele Farm BC, Herts).
Box made a flying start going 10-4 up after five ends and were 19-14 ahead at 16 ends. But they then dropped a single and a three to cling on for a nail-biting 19-18 success.
In the first round Grenfell’s triple beat S Hosking (Bridport, Dorset) 14-11 and followed that up with a comfortable 18-11 success over Middlesex representatives from Fassnidge Bowls Club.
And in the last 16 they accounted for K Rothera (Wymeswold, Leics) leading all the way for an 18-15 victory.
Avon’s Lauren Williams lost in the first round of the Under 25 singles while Lucy Smith (Wootton Bassett) reached round two.
The ladies championships at Leamington finish this weekend but Wiltshire still have several players to play in the competitions.
Box have two players, Karen Funnell and Alex Jacobs, still to commence in singles championship events. Funnell is in the main singles event on Friday and Jacobs in the 55 and over singles on Saturday and Sunday.
THE MEN’S championships begin in Worthing tomorrow but only the Holt trio of Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook and Ben Gadd from the Wiltshire Times area are involved in the first five days competing in the triples next Wednesday.
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