THERESA Darnell-Langton's hopes of achieving a marvellous hat-trick of titles were dashed in the Alfa Romeo World Indoor Bowls Council Championships at Belfast.

Already reigning English and British champion, the Loddon Vale bowler failed to get through her qualifying group after winning only one of five matches.

"I was not at my best but take nothing away from the other bowlers, they played really well and, had I shown top form, it would still have been really difficult to make an impact," she said.

Her cause was not helped by the fact that she was the only one in her section not playing with her regular bowls.

Because she was led to believe that she would be in action mainly on the TV rink - which meant using coloured woods - she left her favourite Drake's Pride black set at home.

In the event, following a change of schedule, she could have played with the black woods - though she would not use that as an excuse for her early exit.

Things might have been different had Darnell-Langton won her opening game but, after taking the first set 12-2 in great style, she lost the second 7-2 and then went down 2-1 in the tie-break to Alison Merrien from Guernsey.

Defeats by Maureen Williams and Ruthie Gilor followed and then she fell 10-3 6-6 to Margaret Letham, who she had beaten to win the British Isles title.

Darnell-Langton claimed her only victory in her final match, 13-4 7-4 against Holland's Guurte Ros-Copier. She finished fifth, with Letham marching through with a 100 per cent record and going on to take the title 7-6 11-1 against Julie Forrest.

Audrey Ralls stole the show in the finals of the Five Rivers club championships, winning four trophies out of five.

Ralls, who reached the zone final of the Champion of Champions singles this season, took the singles 21-2, teamed up with Anne Humphries to land the pairs 20-15 against Gillie Johnson and also won the fours.

She also combined with husband Clive to carry off the mixed pairs.

Bill Midlecote and Brian Heather won the men's triples with Rodney Prew and the men's fours with Prew and Ben Bowditch while losing the Waddington's triples. Mike Crook was men's champion.