THE ANNUAL showdown between the Wiltshire women’s and men’s indoor bowling associations last Sunday at North Wilts IBC, Chippenham, produced a third success in a row for the county ladies.

In 2013, the men edged home by one shot on the last end, but since then the women have taken the plaudits and this time around they had 23 shots to spare when winning 130-107 last weekend.

The early exchanges were even but across the board at four ends the women had opened up a ten shots lead at 28-18.

This was extended to 64-50 at ten ends, 98-76 at 15 and 115-86 at 18 before the men came back to cut the final deficit to only 23 shots in a 130-107 loss.

The women took the honours on four of the rinks with skips Sheila Garlick (three shots) and Wendy Ivory (one) winning tight matches.

However, the ladies overall success was greatly influenced by Fizz Mace’s quartet who produced a big winning margin of 19 shots over Ron Read’s foursome.

While in the battle of the presidents Jane Taylor’s rink skipped by Joan Coleman were always ahead against men’s president Bob Roberts-Phare before finally winning by 12 shots in a 24-12 success.

The men’s two rink victories were gained by Maurice Byrom’s foursome who won by nine shots and Roger Button’s quartet who edged home by three shots.

RESULTS

Wiltshire County Women’s IBA v Wilts IBA

Rink 1: Jean Buckland (Christie Miller), Isobel Jenner (Swindon Westlecot), Janice Bull (Five Rivers) & Ann Roberts-Phare (North Wilts) lost to Peter Young, Brian Mace, Peter Sanders & Roger Button (all NW) 16-19. (ladies played as a triple).

Rink 2: Gill Bradnam, Val Groves , May Brand (all NW) & Sheila Garlick (CM) beat Don French (NW), Gavin Newman (W), Bob George & Dave Williams (both NW) 24-21.

Rink 3: Carol French, Iris Read, Barbara Shepheard & Wendy Ivory (all NW) beat Gerry Vincent (Swindon Manor), Craig Chard (NW), Martin Salter (W) & Alan Small (NW) 17-16.

Rink 4: Tessa Gallagher (NW), Lynne Stanford (FR), Bev Lilley (CM) & Fizz Mace (NW) beat Gerry Mitchell, Alan Stell (NW), Dave Richards (CM) & Ron Read (NW) 33-14.

Rink 5: Eileen Hawker (CM), Jan Tombs, Jane Taylor (pres., both NW) & Joan Coleman (FR) beat Andy List, Martin Clark (both NW), Steve Hockings (CM) & Bob Roberts-Phare (pres.,NW) 24-12.

Rink 6: June Coyle, Carol Massey, Lyn Brown & Brenda Bowen (all NW) lost to Richard Jennings, Bob Curtis, Clive Swift & Maurice Byrom (all NW) 16-25.

Score: Wiltshire ladies beat Wiltshire men 130-107.

n NORTH WILTS will be represented in the English Indoor Bowling Association national championships in three ladies events.

Sue Cooke will be involved in all three of them - singles, triples and O50s two wood triples - but missed out on another in the fours.

Cooke who had beaten her pairs partner Alex Jacobs 21-16 to win the Area 30 singles final followed it up in the inter-area final staged at Clarrie Dunbar IBC last weekend with a 22-16 victory over Area 29 winner, former England U25 international Kirsty Hembrow (Taunton Deane).

This success booked Cooke a place in the last 16 of the top ladies event, the singles championship at Melton & District on April 15 against Brenda Bowyer, (Essex County, based at Westcliffe-on-Sea).

This completed a treble for Cooke as she had previous qualified for the last 16 with Irene Button and Jacobs in the ladies triples at Melton on April 13, as well as the Over 50s two wood triples with Jean Collier and Jacobs at Nottingham on March 28 when they will face fellow Wiltshire bowlers Josie Lloyd, Wendy Anderson and Janet Willis (Westlecot).

However, North Wilts missed out last weekend at Clarrie Dunbar in reaching a fourth event at the ladies national championships.

The quartet of Button, Collier, Cooke and skip Jacobs were beaten 21-8 in the inter-area ladies fours final by a Taunton Deane foursome of Meryl Cridland, Wendy Merchant, Sue Evans and Kirsty Hembrow.