ROYAL Wootton Bassett players won two of the six Wiltshire men’s national championship finals staged at Devizes last Sunday but missed out in two others.

Dave Godwin, losing finalist last year, went one better this time around, coming from behind to win the men’s singles title for the first time.

Godwin (playing three) together with Kyle Anderson, Tom Walkley and skip Stephen Snell also retained the fours championship crown.

However Bassett's Neil Smith (men’s singles), Kyle Anderson (junior U25 singles) and the duo of Dave Snell and Mel Biggs (pairs) were all beaten in county men’s championship finals.

Godwin was involved in a mammoth singles final with Bassett team-mate Neil Smith before coming from 15-10 down to edge home 21-19 after a 29-end battle.

He trailed England indoor international Smith 4-3 at five ends, 8-6 at 10, 11-9 at 15 and 15-10 at 19 before staging a superb fightback.

Godwin won eight of the next nine ends to move 20-17 ahead and sealed the title 21-19 with a single on the 29th end.

Earlier in the morning Godwin had helped the Bassett rink skipped by Stephen Snell to retain their fours championship title.

They opened fast and led Purton 8-0 after three ends but were pegged back and passed by Dave Jones’ quartet and trailed 11-9 after ten ends.

However, a count of five on the next sparked the Bassett boys again and they forged ahead to lead 23-13 after 16 ends and claimed the title again with a 28-14 success after only 19 ends.

Anderson lost out in the junior singles (U25) final to Amesbury’s Tom Warner.

Anderson was 6-4 down at five ends but led 9-8 at 11 ends. He went behind again trailing 14-10 at 15 ends and 18-12 at 19 but fought back to cut the deficit to only 19-18 after 24.

However, Warner regrouped to take the next two ends and seal a 21-18 victory.

The pairs final saw Bassett duo Snell and Biggs lead Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) 9-5 after eight ends but they only scored one more single as the Moulton combination powered away to a comfortable 25-10 victory after only 18 ends.

Francis, Shadwell and Andy Colebrooke had earler taken the triples title against Westlecot.

However, Westlecot did win a title as Gary Jackson edged out U25 champion Warner (Amesbury) 14-13 on the last end in the men’s two wood singles final.

All of the winners and runners-up in the county men’s finals at Devizes will represent Wiltshire in the national championship finals that start at Royal Leamington Spa on Saturday. However, the men’s events do not commence in earnest until Saturday, August 20.

Bassett will have a strong representation in the men’s and mixed national championships that start this weekend.

Craig and Gary Morphet have qualified for the quarter-finals in the family pairs while the Smith’s Lucy, Katy and dad Neil plus Mel Biggs are through to the last 16 in the mixed fours competition.

In the men’s championship events, Dave Godwin and Neil Smith are Wiltshire’s representatives in the men’s singles while Kyle Anderson competes in the junior singles (U25) championship.

Veterans Snell and Biggs contest the pairs championships while the quartet of Anderson, Tom Walkley, Godwin and Steve Snell compete in the fours.

Biggs, a three-times national championships winner and twice national victor in the senior pairs (over 55s) has reached the latter stages in the senior singles event for the second time in his long career.

Finally Bassett men are still running in the men’s Top Club competition and have to play Greenhill (Weymouth) in the Dorset and Wilts sectional final one step away from a Leamington last eight spot.

RESULTS

Fours: Kyle Anderson, Tom Walkley, Dave Godwin & Stephen Snell (holders, Royal Wootton Bassett) beat Dave Hall, Eric Collier, Colin Baker & Dave Jones (Purton) 28-14.

Triples: Andy Colebrooke, Russell Francis & Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) beat Keith Williamson, Kevin Carter & Ray Sowden (Westlecot) 17-6.

Singles: Dave Godwin (RWB) beat Neil Smith (RWB) 21-19 (30 ends).

Junior (U25) singles: Tom Warner (Amesbury) beat Kyle Anderson (RWB) 21-18 (27 ends).

Pairs: Russ Francis & Graham Shadwell (S Moulton) beat Dave Snell & Mel Biggs (RWB) 25-10.

Two Wood singles: Gary Jackson (Westlecot) beat Tom Warner (Ames) 14-13.