FOWNHOPE trio Pam Kellett, Neil Kellett and Fred Jolley earned themselves a date at the National Championships at the end of March with victory in the Herefordshire Short Mat Bowls county championship triples competition at the Larruperz Centre in Ross-on-Wye.

The Fownhope team opened the scoring by taking a three-shot lead against their opponents from Woolhope, Sandra Rogers, Phil Rogers and Jones, pressing home their advantage to lead 8-2 at the conclusion of the penultimate end.

Needing to score with all of their six bowls to force a draw in the final end, Woolhope were unable to rise to the challenge and Fownhope emerged with an 11-2 success.

To make it a doubly disappointing day for Woolhope, the club's four of Phil and Sandra Rogers, Lee Jones and Duncan Sayce went down in the final of the fours against the Weston-under-Penyard quartet of Betty Aubrey, Harold Aubrey, Tim Rigden and Terry Snow.

Weston made an almost perfect start with a seven-shot first end and Woolhope conceded defeat at the conclusion of the seventh end by which stage they were trailing 16-3.

The Weston four will not, however, take part in the National Championships as they had not pre-elected to do so.

The singles and doubles competitions take place at Coleford Leisure Centre on February 10 and 11.