DAVE Snell fell at the penultimate hurdle in his bid to retain his senior (Over 55s) singles title at the National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa last weekend.

The 68-year-old Middleton Cup inter-county player/manager and Wiltshire senior singles champion won his first three seniors matches but went out in the semi-finals losing 21-11 to Kevin Phillips (Topsham, Exeter) in pouring rain.

Earlier Wootton Bassett’s Snell had accounted for George Batey (Alnwick, Northumberland) 21-15 before digging deep to survive his second round game against Norfolk’s John Colcombe (Acle St Edmunds), respondong from 9-0 and 17-6 down to edge it 21-19.

A 21-9 victory over Mick Leafe (Arnold Park, Notts) took him to the last four before he fell to Phillips.

“Obviously I am disappointed to lose the semi-final, but I have had a great run in this tournament,’’ said Snell.

“Counting last year, when I won the title, that was my 19th game in the senior singles competition and my first defeat - a great record with a national title and then to reach the semi-final again.

“I still can’t really believe the success I have had in the senior section over the last three years with two pairs titles with Mel (Biggs) plus my singles title last year and now the semis this year.”

A fortnight earlier, Snell lifted the senior pairs title with Westlecot’s Mel Biggs.

  • THE NATIONAL championships end tomorrow at Royal Leamington Spa with the finals in the men’s U25 county double rinks and the women’s 31 years and under double rinks for the Amy Rose Bowl.

Wiltshire’s last chance of glory lies with the ladies team of Charlotte Daniell, Charlie Godwin (both Wootton Bassett), Joanna Richman (Highworth) and Kathryn Holmes (Box) in rink one and Georgina Newman (Trowbrige Westbourne), Kara Little (Chippenham Town) and Lucy and Katy Smith (W Bassett) in rink two in the Amy Rose Bowl.

They were drawn against Northamptonshire in round one for the right to face either Cambridgeshire or Cumbria.

Westlecot’s Graham Hatherall and Mike Jackson made early exits in the two wood singles championship as did Wootton Bassett’s Dave Godwin and Mel Biggs (Westlecot) in the men’s four wood singles.