BRIMFIELD’S women battled through to a final and a semi-final at the Bowls England national championships in Royal Leamington Spa.

Marion Wheatley and Karen Tandler suffered a 22-13 defeat against Surrey duo Inger Newman and Norma Beales in Sunday’s over 55 pairs’ final.

They had previously won four games on the trot – including a 22-7 demolition of Devon in the quarterfinals - to reach the final.

Brimfield’s chairman and county president Jennie Cole won through to the last four in the two wood singles at the Victoria Park venue.

She came up against Norfolk’s Brenda Whitehead in the last-four and went down, 16-10.

Cole, Herefordshire county champion, had been on top form as she eased past opponents from Nottinghamshire and Somerset, 19-10 and 17-13.

A comfortable 15-9 win in the third round set up a quarter-final tie against Sussex’s Rachel Mackriell, and Cole won through after a tight game 14-11.

Brimfield also had two teams in the rinks, winners and runners-up at county level, and skip Jennie with Helen Skinner, Josie Ward and Marion Wheatley marched to the quarter-finals with three convincing wins. However, they came up against eventual finalists Gloucestershire, who won 21-11.

Brimfield also competed in the national pairs, with the teams of Jill Turberfield and Lynne Allen and Karen Tandler and Barbara Grif fiths making early exits.

“No other club from anywhere in the country have as many representatives as Brimfield and Little Hereford at this year’s event and it makes me feel very proud,” said Cole.

Cole will now be going for glory in the over 55s singles, which gets under way this Saturday (August 10).