IN the national bowls finals at Basingstoke on Saturday the Beccles club's two representatives in the U25 singles lost their first round matches.Ian Catchpole, making his first appearance in the event, went down to the holder Sam Tolchard from Torquay, while in the ladies' competition, Kirsty Clarke - who qualified for the second successive season - was beaten by Amy Banes from Swale.

IN the national bowls finals at Basingstoke on Saturday the Beccles club's two representatives in the U25 singles lost their first round matches.

Ian Catchpole, making his first appearance in the event, went down to the holder Sam Tolchard from Torquay, while in the ladies' competition, Kirsty Clarke - who qualified for the second successive season - was beaten by Amy Banes from Swale.

Both players will have the opportunity to qualify for the finals in this event in the next few years, and the experience gained will help in their endeavours to win the title.

The fifth annual Adult/Junior Pairs competition was held at Beccles on Saturday. There was again an impressive list of competitors from the county which led to some very good bowling all round.

In Group A, nobody had a 100 per cent record, with Lauren and Carl Finbow from Mid-Suffolk qualifying for the semi-finals with two wins and a draw.

Group B saw home players Emily and Mark Todd win all three matches to qualify while in Group D, holders Katherine and John Rednall (Ipswich) also won all three games.

Group C produced the closest finish with Ben Parrish and Mark Royal (Mid Suffolk) and Ben Harber and Richard Adams (Beccles) entering the last end of their match with the Beccles pair five shots in front. This meant that whoever won the last end would win the group on shot difference. The Beccles pair held onto the shot to win through.

The two semi-finals were both rather one-sided, producing comfortable victories for the Rednalls and Ben and Richard.

In the final, the Beccles pair won the first three ends to take a 3-0 lead but the holders fought back to level the score with one end remaining. John Rednall then drew the shot to win the competition for the fourth time.

On Sunday, the concluding Mixed County League match of the season was played. Beccles B lost by 76-60 to Mid-Suffolk, gaining 1.5 points.

Rink scores. Home: P Mulcairn, A Ward, S Greenslade and D Francis 14, M Hope 20. J Ackland-Snow, R Adams, G Smith and B Harber 20, T Griffin 12. Away: N Marwood, J Monk, K Monk and G Mulcairn 17, J Wright 17. N Rutherford, Pye, T Wright and T Ridley 9, R Lillestone 27.

On Sunday Beccles play Sole Bay A in the Men's County League. The result will determine which of the two teams wins

the title.