WILTSHIRE have added another title success in the Over 55s seniors section at the national championships, currently being staged this month at Royal Leamington Spa.

Following the victory of Alex Jacobs (Box) and her successful defence of the senior singles crown on August 9, the duo of Dave Snell (Wootton Bassett) and Mel Biggs (Westlecot) won the men’s Over 55 senior pairs title last weekend.

In the final they beat the Berkshire pairing of Barry Williams and Tony Aubrey (Thatcham) 26-13 to win thecrown for the second time in three years, having also triumphed in 2013.

Snell will be aiming for another title this weekend and to emulate Jacobs as he begins the defence of his senior singles crown on Saturday against Northumberland’s George Batey.

It has been a quiet period for West Wilts bowlers at Leamington last week in the national championships but Holt’s trio of Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook and Ben Gadd will be looking to change that as they enter the national triples championship today.

Gadd is also competing with Justin Davis in the pairs and they begin with a preliminary round match on Sunday afternoon, while Spencer Moulton duo Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell enter the fray on Monday morning with a first round game against Leicestershire A.

l BOX ladies, who have a fine record in the National Top Club competition in recent years, are only one match away from securing a quarter-final place in the event in September.

Beaten semi-finalists in 2011 Box won this year’s Wiltshire section of the Top Club with a 3-1 victory over Amesbury and followed that by beating Somerset representatives Congresbury in the preliminary round of the inter-county final.

Then last Sunday in the west section of the inter-county first round play-offs, they had to rely again on shots difference against Worcestershire representatives Broadway on the neutral green at Falcon BC (Glos) to qualify for the last 16 and keep alive their hopes of booking a trip to Leamington next month.

Box won the singles by seven shots and stormed well clear on aggregate with a massive 25 shots victory in the pairs from Karen Funnell and captain Alex Jacobs.

Despite being edged out by two shots in the triples and losing the fours by eight shots, the massive pairs win and singles contribution saw Box winning 83-61 on aggregate.

In the semi-finals Box will face Dorset side Broadstone Wessex at the neutral green at Amesbury on Sunday.

l HOLT thumped Swindon West End 101-45 last Sunday in their Four Rink League quarter-final play-off to book a place in the last four against either Wootton Bassett or Amesbury on August 30.

The Area C runaway winners Holt took the honours on all four rinks at Chippenham Town.

The three outstanding quarter-finals will be played on Saturday morning.