HOPES of success in this year’s inter-county championship for the Johns Trophy would appear to be over already for Wiltshire Ladies.

They slumped to a 49-shot defeat at the hands of Cornwall in their opening group match of this season’s competition.

County president Margaret Annetts had enjoyed a four-match winning streak in representative matches, including a win over Cornwall in the South West Counties League.

But at Tiverton West End her team crashed 142-93, only Maureen Woolley’s quartet claiming victory.

They only took the honours on one of the six rinks with Maureen Woolley’s quartet the lone victors and consequently only picked up two points out of a possible 22.

Wiltshire were under the cosh from the outset trailing 41-14 across the board at five ends and 70-43 at ten. The gap increased to 50 shots at 15 ends and 52 at 18 but they did manage to pull it back to 49 at the finish.

Their next Johns group match is away on June 22 to Gloucestershire at Redland Green (Bristol) while they conclude the group stages when they entertain Devon at Warminster on July 6.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Rose Ellis (Amesbury), Margaret Webber (Alderbury), Jo Dunford (Warminster) & Maureen Woolley (Alder) beat Hilary Carthew 20-14.

Rink 2: Karen Funnell (Box), Cathy Hill (War), Josie Lloyd (Westlecot) & Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway) lost to G Thomas 9-30.

Rink 3: Ellen Bolland (S C’way), Sue Ochyra (Devizes), Janet Willis (S C’way) & Fizz Mace (North Wilts) lost to Nicola Gilbert 10-25.

Rink 4: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Eileen Hawker, Marcia Cottle & Delia Godwin (all Spencer Melksham) lost to C Johnstone 19-20.

Rink 5: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (both Box) lost to J Prime 20-21.

Rink 6: Irene Button (Chip T), Jean Collier (Box), Nancy Oliver (Salisbury) & Marguerite Alexander (Devizes) lost to Elizabeth Bray 15-32.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Cornwall 93-142 and by 2pts to 20.

THIS WEEKEND sees the staging of the quarter-finals and semi-finals in both the county ladies national two wood singles and triples championship events.

Marlborough will host the two-wood singles competition on Friday evening (6pm) with the two players left standing after the semi-finals booking a place in the county final at Salisbury on July 20 and also qualify to represent Wiltshire at the national championships at the end of July at Royal Leamington Spa.

DRAW

Quarter-finals: Lucy Smith (Wootton Bassett) v Anne Roberts-Phare (North Wilts); Glenda Hibberd (Wilton) v Irene Button (Chippenham Town); Alex Jacobs (Box) v Linda Perfitt (Westlecot); Marcia Hartley (Spencer Moulton) v Sue Dix (Box).

THE LAST 16 in the county ladies national triples were played at various venues around the county last Friday evening.

Four combinations in the northern section and four in the south all battled their way through to this Saturday’s quarter-finals and semi-finals at Wootton Bassett (10.15am).

In the north trios from Chippenham Town, Malmesbury, Highworth and Stratton Churchway all qualified as well as one triple from Devizes and Box and two from Amesbury.

The semi-final winners will book a place in the county finals at Salisbury in mid-July as well as the right to represent Wiltshire at the nationals at Bowls England headquarters at Royal Leamington Spa.

DRAW

Quarter-finals: Maggie Jordan, Joanna Richman & Linda Kingston (Highworth) v Janet Rowe (Amesbury); Joan Coleman (Amesbury) v Joan Long, Heather Pope & Marlene Aylward (Malmesbury); Ellen Bolland, Wendy Anderson & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) v Viv Baskerville, Jan Boden & Barbara Land (Chippenham Town); Joyce Little, Wendy Gaisford & Marguerite Alexander (Devizes) v Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Carol Grenfell (Box).

Semi-finals: to be played in the afternoon.

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