WILTSHIRE men made it two Middleton Cup wins out of two this season with an emphatic 39-shot away success over Dorset last Saturday.

The Moonrakers followed up their 19-shot win over Warwickshire a week earlier by thumping Dorset 130-91 last weekend in their latest inter-counties west group match played at Greenhill BC, Weymouth.

They won on four of the six rinks to collect 18 out of the 22 points on offer to become the only unbeaten county in the five team section and top the West B group table.

Wiltshire are now in a great position to win this section with two home matches at Wootton Bassett remaining against Worcestershire this Saturday (June 20) and Somerset on July 4. Only the group winners progress to the quarter-finals on July 18.

A solid foundation for the victory awas laid in the opening five ends as across the board Wiltshire led Dorset 29-15.

They were always in control of the match from that point and gradually pulled away to a comfortable overall victory but did lose on two rinks.

Delighted Wiltshire player-manager Dave Snell said: “This was another very good team performance with four winning rinks led by Graham Shadwell's excellent win over P Williats by 24 shots, also good wins by Russell Francis, Neil Smith and Mel Biggs.

“This win puts us in pole position, especially with Somerset losing 14-8 on points against Warwickshire.

“However, although we have two home games to complete the group the players are well aware that they will both be tough games with the first being against Worcestershire this Saturday at Wootton Bassett.”

Wiltshire have made one change for the Worcestershire game with Bassett’s Kyle Anderson, who was unavailable for the Dorset match, returning as lead for Mel Biggs’ rink replacing team manager Dave Snell.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Dave Snell (Wootton Bassett), Graham Hatherall, Mike Jackson & Mel Biggs (all Westlecot) beat Adam Tidby 22-14.

Rink 2: Gary Jackson (West), Craig Doughty (Holt), Stephen Snell (WB) & Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) beat Peter Willats 34-10.

Rink 3: Tom Warner, Nick Revell (both Amesbury), Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd (both Holt) lost to Martin Puckett 14-16.

Rink 4: Barry Sictorness, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin & Gary Morphet (all WB) lost to Nic Voss 18-23.

Rink 5: Wayne Simmonds, Kevin Rowden (both Holt), Andy Colebrooke & Russell Francis (both S Moulton) beat Paul Pomeroy 26-13.

Rink 6: Kevin Embling (West), Keith Bailey (Holt), Tom Walkley & Neil Smith (both WB) beat Jamie Lockwood 16-15.

Score: Wiltshire beat Dorset 130-91 and 18pts to 4pts.

West B Group Scores - June 13: Warwickshire 114 (14pts) Somerset 112 (8pts); Dorset 91 (4pts) Wiltshire 130 (18pts).

Fixtures - June 20: Somerset v Dorset; Wiltshire v Worcestershire (at Wootton Bassett) July 04: Worcs v Warks; Wilts v Somerset (at W Bassett).

THE MEN’S U25 side saw their hopes of national glory this season in the White Rose Trophy disappear last Sunday in the second-half of their semi-final match in the regional final at Bristol.

Wiltshire junior men led their inter-counties double rinks semi-final with Devon 21-19 at halfway but then fell away in the second-half trailing 31-24 at 15 ends, 37-30 at 18 and finally lost 44-34.

The rink skipped by Kyle Anderson won 20-18 but the one led by Nick Revell suffered a 26-14 reverse.

Devon went on to win the final defeating Somerset 39-28 who had in the morning beaten Cornwall 36-32 in the other semi-final.

Devon qualify for the last four as the west regional representatives at Bowls England Headquarters at Royal Leamington Spa in the White Rose Trophy in August.

RESULTS

Rink 1: James Richman (Highworth), Mike Titcombe, Gary Jackson (both Westlecot) & Kyle Anderson (Wootton Bassett) beat Michael Coombs 20-18. Rink 2: Craig Morphet (West), Matt Daniell (W Bassett), Tom Warner & Nick Revell (both Amesbury) lost to Ryan Whitlock 14-26.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Devon 34-44.

WOOTTON BASSETT players dominate the re-arranged county semi-finals in the men’s national fours and triples which will now be staged at Chippenham Town on Sunday, June 28.

Three Bassett rinks contest the fours semi-finals while their two representatives in the triples have been drawn against each other in the afternoon semi-finals.

SEMI-FINALS DRAW

Fours at Chippenham Town, Sunday, June 28 (10am): Kyle Anderson, Dave Snell, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell (Wootton Bassett) v James Nobbs, Terry Walton, Tom Walkley & Neil Smith (WB); Gary Jackson, Graham Hatherall, Mike Jackson & Mel Biggs (Westlecot) v Barry Sictorness, John Williamson, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet (WB).

Triples at Chippenham T (2pm): Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd (holders, Holt) v Andy Blake, Will Jones & Steve Heseltine (Chippenham Town); James Nobbs, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet (WB) v Kyle Anderson, Steve Snell & Dave Godwin (WB).