Four players from St Andrews are just one step away from the Bowls England national finals at Leamington Spa next month.

Brian Reeves, Derek Hurst, Barrie Forse and Richard Withers will be aiming to get through in the men’s fours when they play a team from Congresbury in the county semi-final at Ashcombe Park on Sunday (9.30am). The winners will qualify for Leamington.

Then on Monday, Forse will play Terry Priddle (Purnell) in the area final of the men’s over-55 singles at Winscombe (2.30pm). Only the winner will get through to the nationals.

Withers has qualified already for the nationals, having reached the county final of the two-wood singles. St Andrews have one other player certain of going to Leamington – Becky McMillan, their outstanding junior, who is a skip in Somerset’s Amy Rose Bowl team.

Last week proved disappointing for St Andrews men, who lost in both North Somerset competitions to clubs who play in league divisions above them.

In the Four Dimensions, a surprise defeat for Richard Withers in the singles by Congresbury's Anthony Page got Saints off to a bad start and, although Gordon Wride’s rink won by six, the home team also lost the other two disciplines.

Two evenings later, St Andrews looked in with a chance of winning their KO Cup tie at Clevedon Prom, as the rink skipped by Richard Withers romped home by 25 shots. At 16 ends, there were only a couple of shots in it overall, but the Prom finished strongly, taking four of the five rinks, to win by 17.

On Sunday morning, Saints’ Tony Allcock Trophy team travelled to Paulton for their area semi-final against Purnell but although it was close throughout, home advantage proved decisive, by four.

Saints women’s hopes of success in the Fear Plate were ended by a below-par performance against visitors City of Wells, who won all three rinks.

However, St Andrews remain unbeaten in the new women’s county league as they drew at Victoria on Saturday, thanks to a 17-shot victory by Becky McMillan’s rink and a fine comeback by Jackie Pitman’s triple from 16-11 down to win by two.

Results - Bowls England Tony Allcock Trophy area semi-final, Purnell 29 St Andrews 25: Carolina Venn, Sue Sinclair, K Uglow, B Forse 18-12; J Forse, A Campbell, K Curtis, B Reeves 7-17.

North Somerset Four Dimensions, St Andrews 1 Congresbury 3: Singles: R Withers 17-21; Pairs: R Flaxman/B Reeves 13-23; Triples: M Goddard, K Curtis, B Forse 8-15; Fours: R Potter, R Venn, K Uglow, G Wride 19-13.

North Somerset KO Cup, Clevedon Promenade 101 St Andrews 84: D Reynolds, G Cooper, D Favis, G Wride 13-26; R Potter, R Flaxman, K Uglow, D Bailey 14-23; T Wyatt, J Keay, B Reeves, R Withers 34-9; D Holborow, G Webber, D Hurst, B Forse 14-15; M Goddard, A Cooper, R Venn, A Ware 9-28.

Fear Plate, St Andrews 43 City of Wells 61: B Mangan, B Goddard, A Campbell, J Pitman 15-20; J Forse, M McMillan, S Sinclair, R McMillan 14-25; C Venn, D Baker, J Smith, M Favis 14-16.

Somerset Women’s League, Victoria 47 (5) St Andrews 47 (7): J Forse, M Pattenden, R McMillan 22-5; G Holborow, D Baker, M Favis 7-26; B Mangan, A Campbell, J Pitman 18-16.

Men’s friendly, Winscombe 44 St Andrews 47: R Potter, R Flaxman, D Bailey 12-18; A Dawes, K Uglow, D Hurst 27-9; T Wyatt, G Webber, D Favis 8-17.

Men’s friendly, St Andrews 56 Isle of Wedmore 55: R McLeod, R Brereton, K Curtis, I Lamb 24-11; P Smart, D Reynolds, R Venn, A Ware 17-21; L Fisher, J Ling, G Cooper, G Wride 18-23.