CHRISTIE Miller are well represented in the Wiltshire men’s team to play Hampshire in the second round of the Liberty Trophy, inter-county championship, at Westlecot on Saturday, January 16, writes DAVE EATON.

The Melksham Sports Centre indoor bowls club supply seven of the 24 players selected to play Hampshire - Steve Snook, Darren Anteney, skip Wayne Snook all in a rink supplemented by number three Tom Warner (Five Rivers, Salisbury), plus a full rink of Christie Miller members Chris Easton, Nigel Price, Paul Macdonald and Andy Moore (skip).

Only two other Wiltshire indoor clubs have a representation in the county team with hosts Swindon Westlecot having 14 players named while the other three bowlers are drawn from Five Rivers IBC, Salisbury.

Wiltshire earned their second-round tie with Hampshire after a fighting first round display against Gloucestershire coming from 72-52 down at halfway (11 ends) and 92-75 at 15 ends to turned the game around totally in the second-half to win by six shots 123-117.

They only won on two rinks and drew on another with Ian Jefferies winning 34-9 while Christie’s Andy Moore led his rink to a 20-9 success and club colleague Wayne Snook’s foursome held on for a 17-17 draw.

Opponents Hampshire booked their round two spot with a 116-108 victory over Berkshire.

The Wiltshire side chosen to face Hampshire shows three player as well as several positional changes to the one that defeated Gloucestershire.

The Liberty game has once again been switched from North Wilts, Chippenham to Westlecot (10am) as it clashes with a Ladies Yetton Trophy match which all this season have priority.

TEAM

Rink 1: Steve Snook, Darren Anteney (both Christie Miller, Melksham), Tom Warner (Five Rivers, Salisbury) & Wayne Snook (CM). Rink 2: Chris Easton, Nigel Price, Paul Macdonald & Andy Moore (all CM). Rink 3: Kevin Embling (Westlecot), David Leighfield (FR), Dave Godwin & Ian Jefferies (both W). Rink 4: Ashley Plumb (FR), Tom Pittuck, Terry Walton & Mike Titcombe (all W). Rink 5: Gary Jackson, Chris Cheesley, Dave Snell & Mel Biggs (all W). Rink 6: Paul Kistle, Craig Morphet, Steve Remington & Neil Smith (all W).

Reserves: James Richman (Swindon Manor), Dave Williams (North Wilts, Chippenham) and Craig Hatherall (Westlecot).

TEAMS from local clubs Christie Miller and Clarrie Dunbar dominate the Area 30 semi-finals draw in the men’s national championships in the triples and fours events.

Both clubs will have two representatives in each of the semi-finals.

In the quarter-finals the trio from Christie Miller led by Wayne Snook beat Mike Smith (Bristol) 22-8 while Andy Moore’s triple beat Dave Williams (North Wilts) 24-11. The two Miller triples teams now face each other in the last four.

In the bottom half of the draw the Craig Hadfield-Doughty triple beat a fellow Clarrie Dunbar team skipped by John Freeman 21-7 while Andy Colebrooke’s trio were 21-12 winners over Roger Withers (Clevedon). The two victorious Clarrie trios now meet in the semis.

In the fours Andy Moore’s quartet beat Dave Williams (North Wilts) 15-11 and will face Craig Doughty’s foursome in the semis after they comprehensively beat Eric Seavill (Bristol) 26-6.

In the bottom half of the draw Wayne Snook’s four beat Clevedon’s Gary Jay 22-18 while a Clarrie Dunbar quartet led by John Freeman beat Nick Pearce (Clevedon) 22-15. Snook and Freeman now meet in fours semis.

In the men’s O60s singles John Freeman beat Maurice Byrom (North Wilts) 21-6 to book a place in the area final against Clevedon’s Pip Branfield who beat Duncan McGovern (Clarrie D) 21-16 in the semis.

However, it was not a good time for Clarrie ladies in national championship or competitions in Area 30 last week.

Marcia Hartley lost in the semi-finals of the pairs and triples to Alex Jacobs (North Wilts) and was a member of the Clarrie Dunbar fours team that lost in the semis to Bristol’s Sue Osborne.

However, fortunes changed on Tuesday night for Hartley as she teamed up with Teresa King, Craig Doughty and Neil Collett for a tight last end 23-21 victory over Clevedon in the Area 30 mixed fours final to book a place in the inter-area final against Taunton Deane on a neutral venue.

Meanwhile Debbie Shadwell and Terry Perkins lost a closely fought Area 30 mixed pairs final 16-13 to Bristol duo Ros Constant and Paul Bryant.