STRATTON CHURCHWAY have become the latest club to book a place in the Ladies National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa next month.

The pairing of Jacki Pearce and Janet Willis, and also Devizes’s Bev Lilley and Sheila Garlick, successfully negotiated the quarter and semi-finals of the county ladies pairs championship held at Bradford-on-Avon last Saturday, and will meet in the county final at Westlecot on July 26.

In the bottom half of the quarter-final draw at Bradford Pearce and Willis were in awesome form, thrashing Devizes pairing Patricia Reeves and Susan Long. They led 16-3 at 10 ends and claimed a 28-9 victory at 19.

Then, in the semi-finals, they blitzed Chippenham Town’s Viv Baskerville and Barbara Land 27-2.

There was no joy for Wootton Bassett in the top half of the draw, with both of their pairings losing in the quarter-finals.

Teenagers Katy and Lucy Smith were eged out 20-19 on the last end against Warminster’s Sue Burgess and Jo Dunford.

Bassett’s Doreen Croucher and Charlie Harding lost 24-11 against Devizes duo Bev Lilley and Sheila Garlick.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals: Lucy & Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett) lost to Sue Burgess & Jo Dunford (Warminster) 19-20; Bev Lilley & Sheila Garlick (Devizes) beat Doreen Croucher & Charlie Harding (WB) 24-11; Jackie Pearce & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) beat Patricia Reeves & Susan Long (Devizes) 28-9; Viv Baskerville & Barbara Land (Chippenham T) beat Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (holders, Box) 20-16.

Semi-finals: Lilley & Garlick (Devizes) beat Burgess & Dunford (Warminster) 20-15; Pearce & Willis (Stratton C) beat Baskerville & Land (Chip Town) 27-2.

  • Twenty-four hours later the Smith girls, Katy and Lucy, bounced back at Bradford-on-Avon to triumph in the semi-finals and final of the Ladies U25 pairs.

Warm favourites to retain the ladies junior pairs title, the Smiths (Wootton Bassett) duly obliged to book their place again at Leamington representing Wiltshire in the U25 pairs championship.

They had a walkover in the semi-finals owing to illness and, in the final, defeated the partnership of Bethany Little (Chippenham T) and Joanna Richman (Highworth) 20-10.

In the second semi-final, Bethany Little and her partner Richman had beaten Bethany’s sister Kara and her partner Georgina Newman.

RESULTS

Semi-finals: Katy & Lucy Smith (Wootton Bassett) w/o Maisey Daniell & Sasha Grant-Woodhouse (W Bassett); Bethany Little (Chippenham Town) & Joanna Richman (Highworth) beat Georgina Newman (Trowbridge Westbourne) & Kara Little (Chip T) 18-9. Final: K & L Smith beat B Little & J Richman 20-10