SUE Cooke and Alex Jacobs are back on the ladies national indoor pairs title trail once more.

Winners of the national crown in March 2010 at Bedford, the North Wilts duo have reached the latter stages of this season’s championship event again.

They booked their place in the last 32 of the pairs championship at Melton & District (Leics) in late February with a comfortable victory in the Area 30 final staged at Victoria (Street) last Sunday.

Cooke and Jacobs beat the Thornbury mother and daughter pairing of Cynthia and Rachel Winter-Alsop 16-7.

They won the first eight ends to lead 9-0 and were 14-1 up after 13 before eventually winning 16-7 after 20 ends.

Delighted skip Jacobs said: “The pairs final went very well for us and we were always in control of the game.

“It was just a steady plod with so many singles being scored.”

Twenty-four hours earlier Cooke and Jacobs together with Janet Hardie and Val Molton played in the inter-area final of the national fours championship at Taunton Deane.

However, they were beaten 21-17 by the quartet of Hilary May, Sue Paul, Elaine Emery and Pauline Morgan (Minehead) in a close game.

There was also disappointment for the North Wilts trio of Jean Harris, Barbara Shepheard and Fizz Mace on Sunday at Victoria (Street) in the Area 30 national triples final.

They missed out on a place at Melton in the last 32, beaten 26-14 in the area final by Sheila Short, Charmain Pearce and Margaret Dyer (Clevedon).

The match was tight in the early stages with Mace’s trio tied 10-10, but then they dropped a seven and never recovered.

Wayne Snook competes indoors in the latter stages of the men’s U25 singles championships for the last time this weekend at the Bristol City and County IBC.

This is the fifth time in a row that North Wilts player Snook has reached the last 16 and will be hoping to finish his time in the junior ranks on a high and lift the trophy.

His opening game on Saturday (11am) is against Ashley Clipstone (Alfreton) and if successful he would then play either Jack Bird (Scarborough) or BJ Byles (Desborough M) in the quarter-finals.

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