DENNY Graydon and Jean Arnaud had mixed luck when they contested two Area 31 finals in the English Indoor BA Championships at Victory.

Skip Graydon and lead Arnaud joined forces with Atherley colleagues Ella Dibble and Steve Henry to win the mixed fours showdown 22-19 against Julie Hudson, Mary Jones, Ray Daniels and Ray's son Chris from Bournemouth.

Trailing 16-12 Atherley hit a purple patch, landing ten shots over the next four ends to go 22-16 up, and were happy to concede just a single and two on the final two ends which sealed their place in the national finals at Northampton on February 13-16.

In the mixed pairs a tremendous recovery by Graydon and Arnaud just failed to pay off against Diane and Martyn Sekjer. At 13 ends East Dorset were well in control at 17-7, but so well did Atherley rally that the gap was slashed to 17-16 three ends later, following a five, three and one.

However, that brought out the best in the Sekjers and the international pairing landed seven shots over the last five ends to book their date at Northampton (February 11-14) 24-17.

Bob Fawcett and Liberty Trophy newcomer John Joslin missed out on qualifying for the over-60 pairs when losing 24-12 to John Ash and Andy Ross of Longmeadow.

Although skip Ross is no stranger to national play-offs - he took the 1985 British Isles singles crown - this is a first taste for a delighted Ash, who was the final's outstanding bowler.

Longmeadow led all the way going 10-5 ahead at ten ends, but then really applying the pressure with 12 shots without reply. Ash and Ross compete at Northampton on February 11-14.

Tightest match on the Victory bill was the father-and-son final in which East Dorset's former Atherley international Peter Ward and his dad Peter senior needed an extra end to dispatch Ray and Chris Daniels and reach Northampton (February 18-20).

When the Wards led 24-14 on 16 ends, it appeared the match would not even go to 21 ends let alone to sudden-death, but the Bournemouth twosome levelled at 24-24 with a five-end haul that included a five.

But the Wards picked themselves up and Peter junior secured two shots on the 22nd end, a situation which Chris with his running woods was unable to alter.