BOX players Sue Cooke and Jean Collier dominated the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the ladies county two wood singles championship held at North Wilts last Friday evening.

The duo of holder Cooke and team mate Collier successfully booked their places in the county two wood final at Devizes and also earned the right to represent Wiltshire at the national championships in the two wood singles at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

Two wood title holder Cooke was always in control of her quarter-final match dispatching Janice Bull (Amesbury) 16-7.

In the semi-finals she was drawn against her Box team mate and doubles partner Alex Jacobs who had accounted for Wootton Bassett teenager Katy Smith 16-9 in the quarters.

Cooke trailed 4-2 after three ends against Jacobs in their semi but then she reeled off seven winning ends to move 12-4 up at ten and just pulled away further to a 17-8 victory after only 18 ends.

In the top half of the quarters draw Jean Collier (Box) easily overcame Carole Coombs (Westlecot) 15-7 despite trailing 3-2 after five ends.

Collier was even more impressive in the semis against Purton’s Alison Fail, who had beaten June Corbett (Town Gardens) 15-10 in the quarters, notching up 16 shots and only conceding four shots to Fail.

Cooke will defend her two wood singles crown against Collier on July 25 at Devizes in the final while both are through to Leamington.

The attention now switches over the next fortnight or so to the national ladies singles championship also early rounds in county competitions such as champion of champions, top ten and benevolent triples.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals: June Corbett (Swindon Town Gardens) lost to Alison Fail (Purton) 10-15; Carole Coombs (Westlecot) lost to Jean Collier (Box) 7-15; Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett) lost to Alex Jacobs (Box) 9-16; Sue Cooke (holder, Box) beat Janice Bull (Amesbury) 16-7.

Semi-finals: Collier (Box) beat Fail (Purton) 16-4; Cooke (holder, Box) beat Jacobs (Box) 17-8.

WILTSHIRE LADIES hopes of glory in the inter-county championship for the Johns Trophy are over for another season after losing to Dorset.

The winners of the women’s top county team title 20 years ago, Wiltshire saw their dreams of success in the competition again this season ended last Saturday in only their second Johns match of the 2015 campaign.

After a narrow three shots loss to Devon three weeks ago in their opening west group match they went even closer this time against Dorset but still lost once more going down 124-123 at West Moors.

Wiltshire trailed the entire match losing 26-22 at five ends, 64-49 at ten, 92-83 at 15, 111-101 at 18 but despite a late rally finally lost 124-123.

They only took the honours on two rinks drew on another but lost on the other three. Consequently Wiltshire only collected five points out of 22 which effectively kills any chance they had of possibly winning the west group and reaching the quarter-finals.

Dorset top the group on 42 points but from three matches with unbeaten favourites Devon on 39 points after only two games while Wiltshire are fourth on 10 points with two matches to go.

Against Dorset Alex Jacobs rink again came up trumps with a 17 shots success and Delia Godwin’s foursome won by eight shots while Linda Kingston grabbed a point with a second successive draw.

Wiltshire’s next Johns Trophy match is at home this coming Saturday at Devizes against Herefordshire while they complete their group a week later on July 4 away to Worcestershire.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (both Box) beat B Plympton 32-15. Rink 2: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Deanne Davis (Wanborough), Jean Collier (Box) & Mo Woolley (Alderbury) lost to Lyn Howard 13-26. Rink 3: Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett), Kathryn Holmes (Box), Janice Bull (Amesbury) & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) lost to Margaret Clapp 18-23. Rink 4: Rose Ellis (Ames), Lucy Smith (WB), Marcia Hartley (Avon) & Carol Grenfell (Box) lost to B Hodder 16-24. Rink 5: Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway), Ann Hindley (Wilton), Janet Willis (SC) & Delia Godwin (Spencer Melksham) beat Jenny Andrews 24-16. Rink 6: Jenny Couch, Eileen Hawker (both SM), Joanna Richman & Linda Kingston (both Highworth) drew with Joan Collier 20-20.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Dorset 123 (5pts) - 124 (17pts).

TWENTY FOUR hours later, Wiltshire women put the Johns Trophy disappointment behind them and recorded a narrow two shots victory away over Gloucestershire in the Walker Cup.

The rink honours were shared one-all but Wiltshire just edged home in the first round women’s national county top two fours competition.

Across the board at Painswick Falcon BC the scores were tight throughout with Wiltshire ahead 10-9 at five ends, 21-17 at ten, 29-25 at 15, 34-33 at 18 before finally edging home on the last end 41-39 as Alex Jacobs moved the jack back for a count of five to seal victory.

Jacobs’ Johns Trophy rink led from start to finish for a nine shots win but Sue Ochyra rink despite only being 12-11 down at halfway lost by seven shots but her deficit was wiped out by Jacobs’ foursome.

Wiltshire progress to the regional final on Sunday July 12 but the venue has not been announced yet for the four county west final.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (both Box) beat Joy Sheward 23-14. Rink 2: Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway), Jean Collier (Box), Linda Kingston (Highworth) & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) lost to Jacky Howes 18-25.

Score: Wiltshire beat Gloucestershire 41-39.

WILTSHIRE Ladies after three defeats in May in friendly matches have finally broken their duck.

They recorded their first friendly win of the 2015 season under the stewardship of president Joyce Little (Devizes) last week away against Berkshire with a 123-118 victory at Shrivenham.

Wiltshire won on three of the six rinks skipped by Haydon Wick’s Eileen Oliver (six shots), Pewsey’s Trish Jarrett (nine shots) with the biggest win of 12 shots being recorded by North Wilts Fizz Mace’s rink which swayed the pendulum in the Moonraker ‘s favour.

The next county friendly match later this month is away to Glamorgan.

RESULTS (skips only)

Rink 1: Jean Collier lost to H Simpson 20-22. Rink 2: Mo Wolley lost to A Wheeler 17-24. Rink 3: Trish Jarrett beat G Chamberlain 25-16. Rink 4: Eileen Oliver beat J Sanders 20-14. Rink 5: Babs Salter lost to L Orlando 16-29. Rink 6: Fizz Mace beat J Holmes 25-13.

Score: Wiltshire beat Berkshire 123-118.