ROYAL Wootton Bassett claimed a double at the Bowls Wiltshire finals at Devizes last weekend while Pewsey Vale were also among the winners.

Bassett edged home on the last end of the Four Rink League play-off final against holders Holt while their Tourist Trophy team recorded a comfortable 52-37 victory against Swindon Town Gardens a few hours earlier to retain their title.

In the Bowls Wiltshire officers mixed triples holders Pewsey romped to a comprehensive 17-shot win over a trio from Winsley.

Keith Bews, Trish Jarrett and Vince Kimber retained their title beating Gill Chandler, Dave Rees and Sandra Bartlett (Winsley) 24-7.

As expected, the four rink league final was an extremely close affair between the current two strongest men’s clubs in Wiltshire.

The lead swung one way and then the other before being decided on the very last end of the four rinks match as Bassett skip Mel Biggs grabbed a two to ensure a one shot hard fought 76-75 aggregate victory.

Bassett led 25-16 after five ends across the board but holders Holt had moved 42-41 up at halfway (11 ends).

However, Bassett hit back to lead 55-53 after 15 ends but Holt were not giving up their crown easily and had wrestled the lead back 67-63 after 18 ends across the board.

From then on it was nip and tuck and as expected the match went right to the wire and was only settled on the very last end of the four matches.

Bassett skips Steve Snell (10) and Neil Smith (four) had both won their games while Gary Morphet had lost his match despite notching a three on end 21 to cut his deficit to only nine shots.

The final game was still playing between Biggs and Holt’s Justin Davis with Biggs 19-13 down putting Holt one shot up on aggregate.

But former England international Biggs delivered on the last end with a count of two to deny Holt a successful title defence.

Bassett had retained the men’s double rinks Tourist Trophy with a 52-37 aggregate victory over Swindon Town Gardens.

They were in control throughout leading overall on the two rinks 15-8 at five ends, 22-17 at ten, 31-18 at 15 before finally winning 52-37. Biggs rink won 27-18 and Morphet’s rink won 25-19.

Irene Button (Chippenham Town) lost the ladies champion of champions final to Alex Jacobs (Box) 22-11 while Colin Little (Devizes) lost in the greenkeepers final 21-12 to Westlecot’s Gary Jackson.

Devizes also tasted defeat in the mixed BW Secretary and Treasurers Trophy to Swindon West End despite leading for over three quarters of the 21 ends match.

Dave Greenwood and Sheila Garlick led Swindon West End’s Alan Norgrove and Alan Adams 10-2 at five ends 13-7 at 11 (halfway) but were then reeled in to only lead 15-14 at 15 ends.

They were 17-15 down at 17 ends but grabbed an 18-17 lead at 19 but lost the last two ends to go down 21-18.

RESULTS

Four Rink League final: RWB v Holt, Rink 1: Barry Sictorness, Andy Crump, Tom Walkley & Neil Smith beat Ben Gadd 21-17. Rink 2: James Nobbs, Terry Walton, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet lost to Keith Bailey 14-23. Rink 3: Kevin Embling, Alan Small, Dave Snell & Mel Biggs lost to Justin Davis 15-19. Rink 4: Andy Blake, Kyle Anderson, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell beat Don Gray 26-16.

Score: Royal Wootton Bassett beat Holt 76-75.

Tourist Trophy Final: RWB v Swindon Town Gardens, Rink 1: Kevin Embling, James Nobbs, Dave Godwin & Mel Biggs beat Tom Pittuck 27-18. Rink 2: Barry Sictorness, Terry Walton, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet beat Barry Pittuck 25-19.

Score: Royal Wootton Bassett beat Swindon Town Gardens 52-37.

BASSETT men go searching for more glory this weekend as they compete in the last eight of Bowls England men’s Top Club championship at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa.

They face Cheltenham in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon.

If successful they would then play either Hove & Kingsway (Sussex) or Nafferton (Yorkshire) in the semi-finals on Sunday morning with the final scheduled for the afternoon.

Bassett men qualified for Leamington with success in the Dorset and Wilts section of the Top Club championship and then winning the inter- area final (last 16) against Boscombe Cliff, Bournemouth.

In the Dorset and Wilts section Bassett beat Westlecot A 4-1 and Chippenham Town 5-0. Three extremely tight games then followed.

They beat Westlecot B 3-2, then Holt 3-2 to become Wiltshire champions and clinched the Dorset and Wilts sectional title with a 3-2 success over Greenhill (Weymouth).

Then they thumped Hampshire and Isle of Wight champions Boscombe Cliff (Bournemouth) comprehensively winning on all five disciplines for a 5-0 whitewash in the inter-area final to clinch their place at Leamington.

BASSETT TOP CLUB TEAM

Two Wood Singles: Kevin Embling. Four Wood Singles: Neil Smith. Pairs: Dave Snell and Mel Biggs. Triples: James Nobbs, Tom Walkley & Gary Morphet. Fours: Kyle Anderson, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell. Reserves: Terry Walton and Mike Martin.

QUARTER-FINAL DRAW Royal Leamington Spa (Saturday pm): Royal Wotton Bassett v Cheltenham (Glos); Hove & Kingsway (Sussex) v Nafferton (Yorks); Wanstead Central (Essex) v Kings BC (Torquay, Devon); West Ealing (Middx) v Rugby (Warks).

Semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday, September, 18.