NORTH WILTS ladies hopes of adding to their sole national indoor team success in the Yetton Trophy in 2008 are over for another season.

The Vivienne Trophy side based at Westcroft, Chippenham, went out in the quarter-finals of the competition for the second year running when losing last Thursday afternoon to Dorchester in the last eight.

They made a slow start and were 38-15 down across the board after only five ends and never recovered trailing 63-24 at halfway, before eventually losing heavily to the Dorset side 93-52 at 18 ends.

North Wilts did manage to win one of the four triples matches with the home trio of June Coyle, Pam West and Brenda Bowen leading all the way and edging home for a narrow 14-13 victory.

But it was away where North Wilts struggled badly, losing their two triples matches in Dorchester by a combined score of 56-20.

Dorchester move forward to the semi-finals and will face Folkstone who beat Sutton (Surrey) 85-63 while the other semi will feature Norfolk who beat Lincoln 70-65 and Riverain (Hitchin, Herts) who beat Essex side Colchester 73-59.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 1: Margaret Cooke, Lyn Brown & Rosemary Fitzpatrick lost to K John 18-24. Rink 2: June Coyle, Pam West & Brenda Bowen beat M Cullip 14-13.

Away - Rink 1: Fay Allen, Beryl Waters & June Northam lost to J Trotman 14-27. Rink 2: Marilyn Mayhead, Janet Williams & Eirona Carpenter lost to A Kay 6-29.

Score: North Wilts lost to Dorchester 52-93.

IN THE NATIONAL championships and competitions North Wilts ladies are through to the final stages (last 16) in two events and still hold an interest in two others.

The Area 30 winners, Jean Collier, Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs beat Area 29 winners Meryl Cridland, Sue Evans and Di Routley (Taunton Deane) 18-10 in the inter-area final at Clarrie Dunbar in the Over 50s two wood triples to book their place at Nottingham from March 28-29.

Last Saturday Cooke and Jacobs plus Irene Button secured a place in the ladies national triples championship at Melton & District (Leics) from April 13-14 when cruising to a 26-12 victory over Sandra Graham, Jean Jones and Carole Parsons (Donyatt, Illminster) in the inter-area final played at City and County of Bristol IBC.

Jacobs’ triple made a fast start taking four of the first five ends to lead 7-2 and had extended that lead to a match winning 19-3 at ten. They continued to pull away and when a halt was called at 17 ends led 26-12.

This same trio of Button (lead), Cooke (three) and Jacobs (skip) plus Jean Collier (two), the Area 30 fours champions have to play a foursome from Taunton Deane, Meryl Cridland, Wendy Merchant Sue Evans and Kirsty Hembrow, the Area 29 winners, in the inter-area final of the ladies fours championship at Clarrie Dunbar this Sunday (2pm) with the winners progressing to the last 16 at Melton Mowbray on April 11-12.

Meanwhile Sue Cooke, who beat North Wilts colleague Alex Jacobs 21-16 in the area singles final, now faces Kirsty Hembrow (Taunton Deane) in the inter-area singles final on Saturday, Feb 20 at Clarrie Dunbar (10am) with the victor moving forward to the national championships at Melton & District from April 15-16.

THE ANNUAL showdown between the county women’s and men’s indoor bowling associations will take place on Sunday, February 21, at North Wilts IBC (2pm).

The men edged home by one shot on the last end three years ago but the women have taken the plaudits in the last two clashes.

The women recorded a convincing 148-99 success in 2014 while last year they produced an even more emphatic victory cruising to a 62 shots success in a 163-101romp.

Men’s president Bob Roberts-Phare will be hoping to arrest the slide and lead his troops to victory even though they only include one player, county secretary Dave Williams, who helped Wiltshire men to reach the quarter-finals in the inter-county championship for the Liberty Trophy.

The ladies team on the other hand led by president Jane Taylor (North Wilts) contains nine players who played in the ladies county side in the inter-county championship against Somerset in the Atherley Trophy this season as well as four ladies named as reserve for that team.

Both teams chosen by the men’s and women’s county indoor bowling associations for this annual showdown are dominated by players from the host club North Wilts with 18 men and 16 women selected.

TEAMS

Wiltshire CWIBA v Wilts IBA Rink 1: Tessa Gallagher (North Wilts), Lynne Stanford (Five Rivers, Salisbury), Bev Lilley (Christie Miller, Melksham) & Fizz Mace (NW). Rink 2: Norma Rowden, Iris Read, Barbara Shepheard & Wendy Ivory (all NW). Rink 3: June Coyle, Carol Massey, Lyn Brown & Brenda Bowen (all NW). Rink 4: Gill Bradnam, Val Groves , May Brand (all NW) & Sheila Garlick (CM). Rink 5: Jean Buckland (CM), Isobel Jenner (Swindon Westlecot), Janice Bull (FR) & Ann Roberts-Phare (NW). Rink 6: Eileen Hawker (CM), Jan Tombs, Jane Taylor (pres., both NW) & Joan Coleman (FR).

Men Rink 1: Richard Davidge (NW), Gerry Vincent (Swindon Manor), Martin Salter (W) & Alan Small (NW). Rink 2: Richard Jennings, Bob Curtis, Clive Swift & Maurice Byrom (all NW). Rink 3: Andy List, Martin Clark (both NW), Steve Hockings (CM) & Bob Roberts-Phare (pres.,NW). Rink 4: Peter Young, Brian Mace, Peter Sanders & Roger Button (all NW). Rink 5: Don French (NW), Gavin Newman (W), Bob George & Dave Williams (both NW). Rink 6: Clive Vaughan (W), Alan Stell (NW), Dave Richards (CM) & Ron Read (NW).

THE ANNUAL North Wilts Open Singles tournament will be staged for the third time on the weekend of March 19/20 this year.

A maximum of 72 players will be allowed to take part and entries are filling up extremely fast with only a couple of places left to fill.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact the tournament director Dave Williams asap on 07775904757 or davewendy72@gmail.com.

A prize fund of £2300 will be on offer thanks to the generous sponsorship from six local firms Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, Beazer, Bowlamania, Corsham Print, FW Jones & Son and Wadworth, with £1,000 going to the winner of the tournament and £500 to the runner-up.