A STAR-STUDDED field, headed by Mark Royal from the Risbygate club in Bury St Edmunds, will compete in the third annual North Wilts Open Singles tournament.

Royal, the world number 13 who reached the quarter-finals in this year’s world championship at Potters, Norfolk, has only made five starts this season but won two tournaments on the Open Singles Circuit at Stamford, Lincs and Swindon Westlecot and is ranked in second place.

Also competing at the Westcroft club in Chippenham will be the two previous North Wilts winners Clarrie Dunbar’s Keith Bailey, successful in 2014 and last year’s victor Martin Selway (Islwyn, Caerphilly, Wales).

A top prize of £1,000 is on offer to the winner of the event, whose sponsors include the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald.

The tournament is part of the Open Singles Circuit (OSC) and is number 22 of 29 open events around the country that culminate in the top 48 players in the rankings contesting the grand final later in the year at Northampton & District in October for the overall title and a prize fund of well over £3,500.

The 2016 tournament is a full two-day event with play starting this Saturday at 9am and runs until 7.30pm, then restarting at 8.30am on Sunday, with continuous play right through to the final which is scheduled to take place at 5.30pm.

As well as the winner’s prize, £500 goes to the runner up, with prize money awarded down to the losing quarter finalists making the total prize money on offer a very healthy £2,300.

A top-class field will be competing for the £1,000 jackpot that includes ten of the top 20 in the latest OSC rankings following last weekend’s tournaments in Bristol and Ipswich.

They include Royal, Scott Edwards (four, Adur, Sussex), Neil Smith (five,Westlecot ), Paul Maynard (nine Foxhill, Aylesbury), Martin Shepherd (ten Chipping Norton), Sean Gingell (11 Egham, Surrey), Norman Coad (14 Bodmin), Bailey (16 Clarrie Dunbar).

Also taking part are Malvern Hills’ Shaun Jones, the 2014 Grand Prix winner, England U25 international Ryan Atkins (Malvern H) and three OSC winners over the past five weeks Martin Timms (Welford) who won in Bristol last Saturday, Whiteknights Reading player Lloyd Sabatini winner in Cambridge Park, Surrey and Egham’s Sean Gingell who was victorious at Loddon Vale, Basingstoke.

Several North Wilts players are taking part in their home tournament including top ladies Alex Jacobs and Sue Cooke as well as surprise package Jean Collier, only originally a reserve last year but who battled her way through to the final only to lose out to Welshman Martin Selway.

Christie Miller's Andy Moore and Clarrie Dunbar's Andy Colebrooke, beaten finalist in his own tournament at Dunbar three weeks ago, also carry local interest.

Each tournament match will consist of two sets of seven ends with a three-end tie breaker played in the event of a draw.

Spectators are welcome, with admission free and the club bar and restaurant open throughout the two-day prestigious tournament.

The Open is being sponsored by Bowlamania, Corsham Print, Beazer Electrical Services, FW Jones & Son, Wadworth Brewery as well as the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald and carries a prize fund of £2,350.

DRAW

Saturday (March 19) Pick of preliminary round matches - 9am: Sue Cooke (North Wilts) v Jeff Pitt (Peterborough); Katy Smith (Swindon Westlecot) v Helen Tuohy (Egham); Neil Smith (S West) v Andy Colebrooke (Clarrie Dunbar).

eight preliminary round winners progress to round one at noon.

Pick of first round matches - 10.30am: Lloyd Sabatinin (Whiteknights, Reading) v Andy Moore (Christie Miller); Paul Macdonald (C Miller) v Margaret Dyer (Clevedon); Mark Royal (Risbygate) v Chris Ackland (Sully). Noon: Keith Bailey (CD) v Robert Hicks (Unattached). 1.30pm: Martin Timms (Welford) v Duncan McGovern (CD); Ian Jefferies (SWest) v Sarah Howick (Egham). 3pm: Mike Titcombe (SWest) v Miles Pickering (NW); Scott Edwards (Adur) v John Anderson (SWest); Jean Collier (NW) v Jacob Handcock (Swansea); Sean Gingell (Egham) v Lucy Smith (SWest); Angela Streetly (Camberley) v Martin Selway (holder, Islwyn). 4.30pm: Alex Jacobs (NW) v Brian Hawkins (CD).

REACTION & PICTURES FROM THIS WEEKEND'S OPEN IN NEXT WEEK'S GAZETTE & HERALD