COLCHESTER West End Bowls Club's Yvonne Foley has booked her place at the National Championships.

She will take on Springhouse BC's Carol Riley in the two wood singles final in August, after securing her spot at Leamington.

Foley beat Victoria Southend's Maureen Ward in the quarter-final, staged at Great Baddow BC.

The West End bowler led 11-0 at one stage before closing the game out, 15-6.

Foley once again showed her strength in the semi-final against South Woodford's Sheila Martin, winning 16-4.

West End's men played Mistley Manningtree in the first round of the County Shield, with two rinks played home and away.

West End's home rinks lost overall by ten shots but the away rinks won by 17 shots overall to progress to the second round by seven shots.

There was a reversal of fortune for West End ladies in the North West Essex Triples League, after they achieved a six- point win against Braintree.

At home, Jo Higgleton Val McKillop Yvonne Foley convincingly won 20-13 against Freda Laidlaw, Barbara Taylor and Part Hart.

Ann Wright, Beryl Williams and Sue McKay won 16-14 against Sue Jones, Olive Hawkins and Veronica Taylor on the away rink.

In the Boro Triples, West End B hosted Mistley Manningtree B in what proved to be a close game on both rinks.

M West, J Higgleton and J McKillop dropped seven shots on the third end.

They fought back but despite a valiant effort, they eventually went down by just three shots, losing 19-16.

T Ralph, P Cottee and N Manning led all the way and won 14-13, against M Roper, K Trunkfield and D Gross.

In the Boro Fours, West End A and B are finding success hard to come by.

The A team played Mersea Island A and had just one winning rink, losing overall 70-46 on shots and gaining two points.

West End's B team took on Arclight B and fared better, enjoying a two-rink win and winning 61–51 overall on shots, to gain six points.

D McDonald, A Mills, N Manning and J Pettican won their rink 25-13, while J Kennedy, M Barwood, S Carnihan, N Roberts and J Roberts were 26-17 winners.