NORTH WILTS ladies can look back on a successful first half of the 2015/16 indoor bowls season.

They went into the festive break still running in the three main national team events - Yetton, Vivienne and Mason Trophies – and also involved in the women’s individual championships.

North Wilts, Yetton winners in 2008, face a fourth round tie (last 32) with Taunton Deane on January 16. In the Vivienne Trophy, two triples home and two away, they have a round three (last 16) date with Torbay on January 21.

The Westcroft-based ladies completed the nationals team treble in the Over 60 double rinks for the Mason Trophy a few days before Christmas with a third-round 38-30 win over Thornbury.

North Wilts have qualified for the last 32 (round four) and are scheduled to play Taunton Deane by January 22.

In the national championship events, Alex Jacobs and North Wilts ladies are to the forefront in the Area 30 section.

Jacobs has already reached the final stages in the champion of champions competition at Hayling Island at the end of January.

She is also one of three North Wilts players to reach the area semi-finals in the ladies singles along with Janet Hardie, who she faces, while Sue Cooke will meet Bristol’s Ros Constant.

A national winner in the pairs in 2010, Jacobs is through to the Area 30 semis again with Cooke and is due to play Marcia Hartley and Ann Hill (Clarrie Dunbar) by January 17.

Jacobs and Cooke are joined by Irene Button in the triples and meet Clarrie Dunbar’s Ruth Haines, Ann Jones and Marcia Hartley (skip) in the area semis by January 10, while team colleagues Viv Baskervile, Barbara Shepheard and Jane Taylor’s trio have to face a Clevedon triple led by Stefanie Branfield.

Clevedon, led again by Branfield, are Jacobs, Cooke, Button and Jean Collier’s opponents in the fours semi-finals at home by January 10, while Jacobs, Cooke and Collier are due to face Thornbury, led by Cynthia Winter-Alsop, in the ladies Area 30 over 50s two wood triples final to be played by January 17.

And to round-off a superb North Wilts list of ladies semi-finalists and finalists in January Sue Cooke has to meet Thornbury’s Val Osmond in the Over 60s singles Area 30 final by January 17.

On the men’s front in the age group competitions North Wilts’ Maurice Byron is through to an Over 60s singles semi-final with John Freeman (Clarrie Dunbar) while in the O60s fours competition Dave Williams’ rink have to face a quartet from Purnell led by Don Dart in the final - both games have to be played by January 17.

THE Central Region of the Wessex League swings back into action this Sunday with all the local clubs taking part.

North Wilts and Christie Miller who sit at the foot of the seven team central table face each other in an extremely important derby match with only pride at stake.

Meanwhile second placed Clarrie Dunbar, only four points behind Bristol will be looking to close that gap when they face third placed Thornbury.