WEDNESDAY night’s second-round results in the triples: M Ricketts (Ledbury), E Payne (Isle of Wedmore), J Fairhurst (unatt) 4, M Cooper, C Gazzard, P Wyatt (Victoria) 21; D Stott, M Edlin, R Crawford (Clarence) 17, A Starr, K Starr, Duke (Chepstow) 22; M Taylor (Brotherhood), B Ballinger (Clarence), R Walker (Brotherhood) 6, M Dare (Torquay), T Mangan (Olveston), B Forse (St Andrews, Weston) 33; J Eardley (Unatt), D Nutt (Bristol), G Webber (St Andrews, Weston) 13, S Hooper, A Rendell, I Trunks (Watchet) 15; S Gough (Community), T Bourne (Worcester), W Brown (Vines Park) 7, E Lewis (Charford), P Branfield (Malvern Victoria), M Dicks (Cheltenham Spa) 24; G Burbridge (Worcester), D Lewis (Gloucester City), A Burbridge (Worcester) 17, G Millard, T Hyde, P Villis (Banwell) 5; M Handcock, M Scurr, Davies (Chepstow) 18, T Duggan, P Turner (Vines Park), T Powell (Brotherhood) 13; B Ford, D Ellery, J Cambridge (Brotherhood) 25, M Stocker, N Stocker, L Stocker (Victoria) 11.

There was controversy in this round, when a trio from Chepstow beat the Clarence team of Mick Edlin, Richard Crawford and David Stott, then tried to concede the match because they could not play the following night. However, the rules state that the match must be conceded before the final end, so the Clarence trio could not go through. This meant that Victoria’s Colin Gazzard, Mike Cooper and Peter Wyatt were given a walkover into the semi-finals.

CLARENCE teenager Grant Aldridge reached two quarter-finals in a busy day’s bowls on Thursday.

In the morning, the Somerset under-25 captain, who will be 20 next week, teamed up with clubmate Brian Ballinger to get through the second round of the pairs, then went almost straight back on the green to defeat Brotherhood’s Bob Gravenall in his postponed third-round singles.

The first rain of the tournament began in the afternoon, but did not deter Aldridge and Ballinger, who beat the redoubtable Terry Duggan and Trevor Powell by one shot to reach the last eight, in which they will meet another formidable pair, Mike Cooper and Colin Gazzard (Victoria).

Big shock in the second round of the pairs was the defeat of two former singles champions Malcolm Dare and Barrie Forse by the scratch combination of Brian Hunt and Matthew Dicks. All the other most fancies teams got through.

In the mixed pairs, first-year bowler Tiffany Ellis and her boyfriend Nathan Stocker, both from the Victoria club, had a fine victory over the experienced duo of Caroline Venn and Phil Villis. The only Clarence player to survive this stage of the mixed was Don Towie, who partnered ex-Clarence and Wessex Ladies member Carol Webb as they beat Mike Stocker and Alison Ricketts.

However, Clarence Ladies’ Audrey Harris, runner-up in the mixed with Terry Duggan last year, got through as she and Duggan beat Bill Port and Lynn Houghton from, Leamington Spa by three.

Thursday’s results: Pairs- Second round: A Burbridge (Worcester)/M Ricketts (Ledbury) 24, K Bolton/C Davies (Chepstow) 7; M Dare (Torquay)/B Forse (St Andrews, Weston) 13, B Hunt (Rodbourne Cheney)/M Dicks (Cheltenham Spa) 21; M Handcock/J Scurr (Chepstow) 12, S Gough (Community)/T Bourne (Worcester) 18; J Eardley (unatt)/D Gregory (Portishead RBL) 22, K Tyack (Bristol Arrow)/J Collins (Avonmouth) 11; K Bird (Clevedon)/M Bryant (Portishead RBL) 15, W Harrison/R Priddey (Vines Park) 29; M Adams/R Stacey (Clarence) 20, R Akhurst (Southampton)/M Edlin (Clarence) 15; M Stocker/N Stocker (Victoria) 20, M Campbell/K Curtis (Victoria) 12; L Stocker/D Fairhurst (Victoria) 19, T Tudge/R Bennett (Brotherhood) 18; B Ballinger/G Aldridge (Clarence) 16, P Wyatt/J Mingo-West (Victoria) 14; T Duggan (Vines Park)/T Powell (Brotherhood) 18, A Starr (Chepstow)/M Dicks (Cheltenham Spa)16; C Gazzard/M Cooper (Victoria) 14, J Keay/A Bishop (Clarence) 9; G Millard/T Hyde (Banwell) 24, R Povey/A Diston (Kineton) 14; M Prosser (Gloucester Spa/G Parker (Gloucester City) 23, M Laight (Pershore)/T Arnold (Barbourne) 11; W Brown/P Green (Vines Park) 9, M Humphries, T Mangan (Olveston) 20; A Townsend/T Farmer (Kineton) 5, D Lewis (Gloucester City)/G Burbridge (Worcester) 22; A Wells (Bristol Arrow)/C Luton (GB Britton) 20, M Manning/T Barnes (Victoria) 10.

Third round: A Burbridge/Ricketts 24, Hunt/Dicks 7; Gough/Bourne 24, Eardley/Gregory 14; Harrison/Priddey 22, Adams/Stacey 17; M/N Stocker 19, L Stocker/Fairhurst 10; Ballinger/Aldridge 18, Duggan/Powell 17; Gazzard/Cooper 22, Millard/Hyde 14; Prosser/Parker 13, Humphries/Mangan 21; Lewis/G Burbridge 16, Wells/Luton 12. Quarter-finals line-up (9am, Friday) – Burbridge/Ricketts v Gough/Bourne, Harrison/Priddey v M/N Stocker, Ballinger/Aldridge v Gazzard/Cooper, Humphries/Mangan v Lewis/G Burbridge.

Mixed Pairs – Second round: M Ricketts (Ledbury)/C Peart (Wessex Ladies) 14, M Prosser/C Prosser (Gloucester Spa) 22; T Duggan (Vines Park)/A Harris (Clarence) 19, W Port (Ryl Leamington Spa/L Houghton (Ave Leam Spa) 16; M Stocker (Victoria)/A Ricketts (Ledbury) 15, D Towie (Clarence)/C Webb (Victoria) 22; K Elliott/J Collins (Bristol St Andrews) 9, J Knowles/L Knowles (St Martins) 19; A Townsend (Kineton)/J Butler (Barbourne) 17, B Duffy (Clarence)/J Duffy (Wessex Ladies) 15; M Campbell (Victoria)/J Forse (St Andrews, Weston) 22, D Stott (Clarence)/E Stott (Wessex Ladies) 18; B Lindon/Betty Lindon (Barbourne) 21, A Steer/S Sinclair (St Andrews, Weston) 10; N Stocker/T Ellis (Victoria) 19, P Villis (Banwell)/C Venn (St Andrews, Weston) 23.