Linda Gray's hat-trick of appearances in the women's national championships at Nottingham did not produce a title but she played extremely well in all the events.

Her third chance of success was skipping Adur colleagues Linda Lester, Jenny Bainbridge and Sandra Godfrey in the fours, against Colchester skipped by Brenda Brown.

Adur went 5-1 up but then dropped a four on the sixth end. Gray drew well to save lots of shots but, despite this, her team were 12-6 down at 12 ends. They got three on the 13th end and another three on the 16th had them level 13-13.

On the 17th, Gray drew second bowl when five down but, on the 18th when Adur were holding two, Brown moved the jack for three which put Adur 17-13 down.

On the 19th, Gray had two good draws for shots but, on the 20th, Adur dropped a single and one shot only on the 21st end saw them beaten 18-16.

Gray had previously lost 21-16 to eventual trophy winner Kathryn Hawes (Oxford) in the champion of champions first round but, with Joan Murrell and Jenny Bainbridge, recorded a win in the triples before losing 18-9 in the quarter-finals to Sutton.

Iris Winston had to withdraw from the pairs and Irene Macdonald substituted with Joan Howson against mother and daughter Christina and Cheryl Northall of Teignbridge. The score was 15-15 at 18 ends but on the 19th Cheryl moved the jack to score five.

Howson drew three shots on the 20th end and two more on the 21st to force an extra end, on which Howson again drew the shot to win the match 21-20.

In the quarter finals, the Wealden pair were 13-1 down after nine ends, 18-12 after 17 and lost 23-14 to Judy Miller and Sharon Rickman of Sutton.

Preston's Marie Wilson, Pat Pearce and Jean Bowles were out-bowled in the Over-50s two wood triples first round and lost 17-10 to the Kingsthorpe team of Diane Bramwell, Sheila Garside and Maria Geary.

Preston's team for the Yetton Trophy semi-final had a late change due to the withdrawal of Sue Jones, who has moved to Leicester.

Terri Wall moved up to skip in place of Jones with Jan Dearling and June Clayton staying as the front half and Mollie Packham coming in as reserve at three.

The other rinks were: Ann Millward, Sheila Miller, Pearce and Bowles; Doreen Brockes, Peggy Moore, Kathy Flood and Betty Durrant; Brenda Bailey, Doreen Tilling, Ann Owen and Debbie Stavrou.

In the semi-final against Sutton, the Preston team did not get to grips with the green or the occasion and lost 103-53 with all four rinks down.

In the play-off for third and fourth against Colchester, Preston were down at halfway and in defeat all four rinks again lost. Terri Walls' team lost by the least number of shots in both games.

Twenty-five shots over 18 ends indicates the closeness of the national triples area final at Eastbourne between Peter Delonnette, Graham Lavender and Ron Packham of Falaise against Don Kent, Alan Clark and Brian Miller of Denton Island.

The Falaise team went 6-0 up but then dropped 4,2 and thereafter it was close until the final end started at 12-12.

Delonnette's third bowl drew the shot and, when Lavender turned it behind the jack, Packham was trying to protect while Miller had three goes attempting to move the jack a short distance to waiting Denton bowls.

Miller narrowly failed and the Falaise triple celebrated a trip to the national championships at Melton Mowbray.

It will be Delonnette's sixth visit. Packham goes for the third time and Lavender, who works as a cleaner, will make his debut.