MELANIE Brooke's team from the Bert Keech club, York, saw a flying finish foiled by Pauline Travers' side from Derbyshire in the Steradent Women's All-England Bowls Triples championship at Royal Leamington Spa last night.

Brooke and her clubmates Pat Stevens and Mavis Clare found themselves 9-1 down after six ends of their first round clash.

Brooke hit back with a four but the loss of nine shots over the next six ends saw the York trio trailing 18-8 with five ends to play.

Brooke summoned up a fighting finish, pounding Travers with a double, a single, a four and a single at successive ends, slashing the gap to 18-16, but Travers halted the York charge, scoring a single at the last end to edge through 19-16.

Meanwhile, the York Railway Institute partnership of Brenda Love, Sue Kirkpatrick and Pat Wilson were locked together at 4-4 after eight ends of their first round clash with record-breaking Sue Harriott and her team-mates from Exmouth Madeira, Devon.

Wilson scored two singles to move ahead 6-4, but the loss of ten shots over the next six ends saw Wilson trail 14-8 with just two ends to play.

The York trio pulled back a treble at the penultimate end but a single at the last by Harriott, who became the first player to qualify for six events in these championships, enabled the Devon star to win 15-11.

Updated: 11:30 Thursday, August 16, 2001