NORTH WILTS Ladies produced another magnificent performance to march on into the quarter-finals of the women’s national inter-club championship for the Yetton Trophy.

Winners of this top ladies national competition in 2008, the Westcroft-based Chippenham side are still on course to win the title again after beating Plymouth 79-67 in round five at Taunton Deane on Saturday.

The rink honours were shared 2-2, but the winning margins recorded by the rinks skipped by Sue Cooke (18 shots) and Alex Jacobs (14) easily compensated easily for the two losses suffered by Fizz Mace’s foursome (five) and Irene Button’s quartet (15).

The overall score was tight until the three-quarter mark when North Wilts pulled away from opponents Plymouth.

North Wilts led 19-16 across the board after five ends, 38-36 at halfway and 56-49 at 15 but then pulled 66-53 clear at 18 and finally extended that winning margin to 79-67 (12 shots).

The triumphant North Wilts Ladies progress to the quarter-finals and in the last eight are drawn against Bournemouth who thrashed Sussex side Adur 105-40 in round five. They will clash in the last eight on Saturday, February 14 with two rinks being played at North Wilts and the other two away in Bournemouth.

The prize for the winners is a place in the final showdown, the semi-finals and final at Darlington IBC on Sunday, April 19.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Molly Manning, Janet Hardie, Jane Taylor & Alex Jacobs beat Ann Ellis 26-12. Rink 2: Shirley Palfrey, Viv Baskerville, Evelyn Tape & Fizz Mace lost to Mary Player 15-20. Rink 4: Norma Rowden, Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke beat Hilary Avent 27-9. Rink 5: Margaret Cooke, Barbara Shepheard, Ann Roberts-Phare & Irene Button lost to Val Lander 11-26.

Score: North Wilts beat Plymouth 79-67.

THE LADIES at North Wilts are also through to the quarter-finals in another women’s national inter-club team knock-out competition.

They have reached the last eight in the Vivienne Trophy after beating Devon side Isca (Exeter) 87-58 in round four and will now meet Dolphin (Poole, Dorset) on Thursday, February 5 (2pm).

North Wilts have named an unchanged side to face Dolphin relying on the same 16 players that beat Isca in the last round.

TEAM

Home - Rink 1: Julie Underhill, Margaret Walker, Sue Hodkin & Brenda Bowen. Rink 2: June Coyle, Jan Tombs, Lyn Brown & Ann Greenland.

Away - Rink 1: Ann White, Pam West, Rosemary Fitzpatrick & May Brand. Rink 2: Marilyn Mayhead, Beryl Walters, Meryl Williams & Eriona Carpenter. Reserves: Lorna Chadwick (h) and Pam Blackman (a)