WILTSHIRE women’s competitive season under the stewardship of 2015 ladies president Joyce Little from Devizes Bowls Club was due to commence in earnest this week.

The county ladies side were scheduled yesterday to face Cornwall at Topsham (Exeter) in their opening South West Counties League match and the next day entertain West Glamorgan at Wroughton in the first county friendly of the new campaign.

Further friendly games are arranged against Warwickshire (a) on May 19 and home versus Oxfordshire at Stratton Churchway on May 27, while the month ends with Wiltshire ladies meeting Devon in their first inter-county championship match for the Johns Trophy on May 30 at home at Devizes (2pm).

Two trials took place last week for this match.

Wiltshire have been drawn in a five counties west section B and will also face in June, Dorset (a), Herefordshire (h) and Worcestershire (a), only the group winner qualifies for the Johns Trophy quarter-finals on July 11.

THE ladies national championships startedon Monday evening with several upsets in the first round of the county fours.

Chippenham Town quartets led by Rosemary Fitzpatrick and Barbara Land collected the biggest scalps in the opening round.

The former’s team knocked out last season’s county champions Purton, skipped by Alison Fail, while Land’s four beat last season’s runners-up Highworth skipped Linda Kingston who reached the national semi-finals in the four championship at Leamington Spa in 2014.

There were also wins for foursomes skipped by Fizz Mace (North Wilts), Charlie Godwin (Wootton Bassett) and Sue Ochyra (Devizes).

The second round will be played tomorrow night (Friday) with the winners moving forward to the quarter-finals (last eight) at Wootton Bassett on Saturday (10.15am) with winners progressing to the semi-finals schedule to be played in the afternoon.

The two semi-final winners will become the first Wiltshire combinations to book a place at the women’s 2015 national championships at Royal Leamington Spa this season.

WOOTTON Bassett have 10 players chosen to attend the Wiltshire men’s Middleton Cup, inter-county championship trial this Sunday at Wootton Bassett (10am).

The selectors under team manager Dave Snell have named ten Wootton Bassett representatives in the squad of 32 players which is only drawn from six clubs - Bassett (ten), Westlecot (nine), Holt (seven), Spencer Moulton (three), Amesbury (two) and one player from Haydon Wick.

Wootton Bassett players named are: Kyle Anderson, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin, James Nobbs, Gary Morphett, Barry Sictorness, Neil Smith, David and Stephen Snell and Tom Walkley.

In 2014 Wiltshire reached the Middleton Cup semi-finals at Leamington but lost to Hampshire who went on to win the final against Norfolk.

Last year Wiltshire initially began in a four-team west region section but in 2015 they will play in a group of five consisting of Dorset, Somerset, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire with only the group winner progressing to the quarter-finals on July 18.

Their first Middleton Cup match is away against Warwickshire on June 6 at Rugby (2pm).

NORTH Wilts Bowls Club are holding an Open Evening on Tuesday, May 19 starting at 6pm for anyone who is interested in learning how to play bowls.

It will be followed up by four coaching sessions on Monday evenings, starting on June 1 (6pm).

Bowls and shoes are available for the Open Day and there will be refreshments available afterwards.

Anyone interested in knowing more about the North Wilts Club based at Westcroft in Chippenham and its facilities should look at their website www.nwbowls.co.uk