THE LAST two places to represent Wiltshire at the ladies national championships at Royal Leamington Spa next month in the four main events were decided at Devizes last Saturday.

Holder Jean Collier (Box) and teenager Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett), an England U18 international last season, emerged victorious from the quarter and semi-finals of the singles and will meet in the final at Supermarine this Saturday.

Additionally they secured their places at Royal Leamington Spa in early August, representing Wiltshire.

Reigning champion Collier beat Purton’s Alison Fail 21-10 in the semi-finals while Katy Smith also enjoyed a comfortable semi-final win beating Bassett team mate Charlotte Daniell 21-12.

In the top half of the draw Collier made a flying start and led Fail 9-3 at six ends and 13-4 at nine. She was always in control and just pulled away to a convincing 21-10 victory.

The all-Bassett semis clash saw Smith make a good start and lead Daniell 8-3 after seven ends but was pulled back level 8-8 on the tenth and led narrowly 11-10 after 12.

However, Daniell only won one more end as Smith move up a few gears and powered away to a 21-12 success on the 18th end.

In the quarter-final games Collier beat Chippenham’s Viv Baskerville 21-14 while Fail thumped Wilton’s Lesley Trattles 21-6.

The bottom half of the draw saw Bassett's teenage duo of Smith and Daniell collect two prize scalps in the quarter-finals with Smith defeating current indoor and outdoor national champion Alex Jacobs (Box), a twice Wiltshire ladies singles champion.

She was never headed after opening with a full house count of four shots and ran out a convincing 21-8 winner.

Daniell accounted for former Wiltshire ladies two wood champion Ann Hindley, a Johns Trophy county player this season.

Daniell had to come from behind to beat Hindley after trailing 9-6 at 11 ends and only tied 10-10 at 15 ends, 12-12 at 19 and 13-13 at 21.

But in the next four ends she grabbed two threes and a two to claim a hard fought 21-15 victory and a Bassett semis showdown with Smith.

RESULTS

Singles quarter-finals: Lesley Trattles (Wilton) lost to Alison Fail (Purton) 6-21; Viv Baskerville (Chippenham Town) lost to Jean Collier (holder Box) 14-21; Charlotte Daniell (Royal Wootton Bassett) beat Ann Hindley (Wilton) 21-15; Katy Smith (RWB) beat Alex Jacobs (Box) 21-8.

Semi-finals: Collier (holder, Box) beat Fail (Purton) 21-10; K Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) beat C Daniell (RWB) 21-12.

SIX CLUBS only will be represented at Bowls Wiltshire Ladies finals day being held at Supermarine this Saturday (10.30am).

Four of them, Box, Royal Wootton Bassett, Devizes and Supermarine will compete in more than one of the six events while Avon and Wilton have a single representation.

Box players will in fact compete in four of the finals - two and four wood singles, plus fours and triples.

It will be a busy and tiring day for five players - Alex Jacobs (Box) as well as the Devizes duo of Rose Merritt and Sue Ochyra and Supermarine duo Marilyn Kilburn and county ladies president Pat Jones.

Jacobs contests the two wood singles against former winner Wilton’s Ann Hindley and then in the afternoon lines-up in the fours final as skip for Box against Supermarine who have home advantage.

Devizes duo Merritt and Ochyra face Supermarine’s Kilburn and Jones in the morning pairs final and then are joined in the afternoon by Patricia Reeves for the triples final as they take on the Box trio of Kara Little, Jane Taylor and Michele Williams.

Only two players are defending titles, Jean Collier (Box) in the ladies four wood singles as well as Bassett’s Lucy Smith who has won the junior (U25) singles crown for the past three years and four times in the last five years – a remarkable feat.

Georgina Newman (Avon) will be trying to deny her the title once more.

All the players taking part in finals day at Supermarine on Saturday have qualified to represent Wiltshire in the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

PROGRAMME

County Ladies finals day at Supermarine, Saturday, July 25 10.30am

Two Wood Singles: Ann Hindley (Wilton) v Alex Jacobs (Box).

Four Wood Singles: Jean Collier (holder, Box) v Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett).

Junior U25 Singles: Lucy Smith (holder, RWB) v Georgina Newman (Avon).

Pairs: Marilyn Kilburn & Pat Jones (Supermarine) v Rose Merritt & Sue Ochyra (Devizes)

2pm, Fours: Carol Grenfell, Karen Funnell, Sue Cooke & A Jacobs (Box) v Carol Sandry, M Kilburn, P Jones & Bev Millen (Supermarine).

Triples: Kara Little, Jane Taylor & Michele Williams (Box) v R Merritt, Patricia Reeves & S Ochyra (Devizes).

4pm approx: Presentation of trophies

ALEX Jacobs has booked a place at Royal Leamington Spa once again and will defend her senior (O55s) singles crown that she has won for the past two years at Bowls England headquarters.

The Box star opened in this season’s O55s singles competition with a 21-6 win in the preliminary round over team mate Carol Grenfell and followed that up with a 21-17 win over Sue Ochyra (Devizes).

In round two Jacobs had a comfortable 21-6 win over Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) and booked her last 32 Leamington place in the national finals with a 21-15 win in round three, the county O55s singles final, over Highworth’s Linda Kingston.

Jacobs has earlier this week qualified for Leamington and the national championships in two competition events.

On Monday evening she won the Dorset & Wilts section of the ladies champion of champions beating England international Julie Leake (Poole Park) comfortably 21-12 to reach the last 16 at Leamington.

Then on Tuesday evening Jacobs together with Box player Ian Higgins won the Dorset & Wilts final of the mixed pairs beating Ryan Stone and his partner from the Wellworthy Club (Weymouth) 21-15 to book a last 16 mixed pairs slot.

WILTSHIRE Ladies' South-West Counties team bounced back from their surprise loss to Herefordshire a week earlier with an excellent performance and fine win last Thursday against arch rivals Devon.

They won by 29 shots as they ran-out 134-105 victors at Castle Cary.

Wiltshire took the honours on four rinks with the two rinks skipped by Devizes’ Sue Ochyra (20 shots) and Stratton Churchway’s Janet Willis (19 shots) recording big winning margins as Wiltshire took 18 points out of the 22 on offer to get their SWCL campaign back on track.

Wiltshire led 26-22 after five ends across the board, 56-47 at ten and 83-76 at 15 ends but then steamed away from Devon to lead 116-88 at 18 and finally win convincingly 134-105.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Trish Jarrett lost to S Devonport 19-25. Rink 2: Sue Ochyra beat T Thomas 29-9. Rink 3: Margaret Annetts beat L Lock 21-19. Rink 4: Janet Willis beat L Healey 31-12. Rink 5: Rosemary Fitzpatrick beat J Howle 25-18. Rink 6: Carol Grefell lost to B Leach 9-22.

Score: Wiltshire beat Devon 134-105 and by 18pts to 4pts.