Plenty of commitment – but precious little success. That pretty well sums up the past week for competitors from the three counties – Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire – in the first phase of the national indoor bowls championships in Northampton.

West Country hopes were high in such events as mixed pairs and fours, and men’s over 60 fours, and men’s and women’s over 50 triples – but in 14 games played, only three winning cards were returned, and no-one, except Thornbury’s women, got past the second round.

The event started well for Clarrie Dunbar husband-and-wife duo Debbie and Graham Shadwell, who beat a Norfolk pair 18-15 in the first round of the mixed pairs, but they slipped 20-16 up against Bromsgrove in the second round – and, with Kim Smith and Andy Colebrooke on board, the Shadwells fell at the first hurdle in the mixed fours.

MidGlos quartet Reg Tibbles, Paul Nelmes, Eddie Kavanagh and Graham Griffiths swept into the quarter-finals of the men’s over 60 fours before losing 18-13 to an unsung West Berks team, who went on to win the title.

Jenny Whitlock, Barbara Colby and Mary Sutton, from Yeovil, did well to beat Worthing in the first round of the women’s over 50 triples, 14-10. Outplayed, 25-5, by Leicester club Barwell, the Yeovil trio found consolation when Barwell scorched to the title.

Bristol bowlers, who qualified for the final stages of the men’s and women’s over 50 triples, suffered a double whammy, Bob Johnson, Les Barnes and Malcolm Smith going down, 24-17, to Plymouth, and Roz Constant and the two Sues, Humphries and Osborne, losing 16-9 to Wellingborough.

Thornbury, who excelled themselves by reaching the semi-finals of the Mason Trophy, had the daunting task of facing the favourites Egham, but had the Surrey stars worried when Marilyn Gozna, Brenda Dolling, Sue Latham and Val Osmond notched up a fine 24-13 win over Pauline Clark’s rink.

Sadly, on the next rink, Ann White, Anthea Luton, Lindsay Collin and Cynthia Winter-Alsop crashed to a damaging 33-6 defeat, giving Egham a 46-30 win overall.

Egham were never in trouble in the final, handing out a 50-28 lesson to the City of Ely club, who, in the mixed fours event, produced the story of the week, when Chloe Brett became the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals of a national indoor bowls championship.

Chloe, who is the daughter of world-ranked Nick Brett, is only 11, but, along with husband-and-wife duo Kay and Greg Harlow, played her part in Ely’s 18-13 first round win over a Wey Valley (Guildford) quartet.

The focus of attention passes this weekend from Northampton to Melton Mowbray, where the national women’s indoor pairs, triples and fours championships will be decided next week.

But who will challenge for the men’s titles in Nottingham at the end of next month?

All will be revealed this weekend, when the area 30 finals of the four premier events are being played at the Cotswold and North Wilts clubs.

The busiest man on parade will be England star Graham Shadwell, who has qualified in all four events – quite an achievement when set alongside his recent involvement in the final stages of the All-England mixed pairs and fours championships in Northampton.

At a meeting held at Portishead last weekend, it was confirmed that the final of the 2012 Warner Leisure Hotels Wessex League championship will be staged at the Cotswold club in Stroud on April 22.

In the event of Cotswold qualifying for the final, the reserve venue will be Oxford & District. Next year’s final will be played at Bristol (reserve venue – Oxford City & County).

The draw for the knockout last sixteen stage of this winter’s title-race was also made (see results column).

Announcing the provisional fixtures for the Wessex League’s 2012-13 winter season, secretary Mike Stanley made a special appeal for clubs to study the schedule, and identify any potential clashes.

“We are very flexible, but need to know before May 5 if there any problems with green bookings, club tours, county commitments, or anything else that may impact on the League fixtures,” Stanley explained.

“We want people to be aware that ‘home rinks’ can be played on the Saturdays of the weekends in question, if necessary,” he added. “But, if clubs choose to do this, they must notify both your opponents and myself before May 6.”

Stanley, who also has a role with the English Bowls Players Association (EBPA), has been impressed with the enthusiasm and organisational skills shown by Neil Smith and Jeff Nicholls of the Westlecot club in Swindon.

“We have noted a growth of interest in open tournaments like the ones at Westlecot, Bournemouth and Adur, and are wondering if the EBPA could assist with the running of such events on a national scale,” said Stanley, who will be meeting Smith and Nicholls next week.

The Clarrie Dunbar club, who are confident they can catch Yeovil at the top of the Somerset County League Division One, took a step in the right direction when they defeated Victoria (Street) last weekend.

“It wasn’t easy,” said Clarrie’s Brian Hawkins. “We were 11 shots adrift after 18 ends, but the rinks skipped by Mike Sawyer and Fred Pope both scored five shots on the run-in, and a big finish saw us home, 74-70, and gave us 12 of the 16 points on offer.”

Hawkins was third man on John Freeman’s away rink that returned Clarrie’s best card, and had to make some close calls during the match, which produced some outstanding bowling.