TWO changes have been made to Wiltshire’s Middleton Cup side for their crucial final group match away against Warwickshire next Saturday at Rugby.

Wootton Bassett’s England U25 trialist Kyle Anderson, who has been sitting his final exams at university recently, comes into the side at lead in place of fellow Bassett team mate Barry Sictorness in the rink skipped by Westlecot’s Mel Biggs.

And the other change is also at lead with Paul Kistle (Westlecot) coming into Mike Jackson’s foursome with Michael Richards moving down from lead to two and Holt’s Kevin Oliver switching to the substitutes bench thus creating an all-Westlecot rink.

Wiltshire must win the away game against Warwickshire by at least 14-8 or more to guarantee top spot in their west group and book a spot in the quarter-finals yet again.

Currently in the group table, all four counties have played two games - Wiltshire lead on 32 points, Worcestershire are second on 23, Gloucestershire have 22 and last are Warwickshire on 11.

TEAM
Rink 1: Kyle Anderson (Wootton Bassett), Justin Davis (Holt), Graham Hatherall & Mel Biggs (both Westlecot). Rink 2: Kevin Embling (West), Keith Bailey (Holt), Gary Morphet & Neil Smith (both WB). Rink 3: Tom Warner, Nick Revell (both Amesbury), Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd (both Holt). Rink 4: Wayne Simmonds (Holt), Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin (both WB) & Russell Francis (Spencer Moulton). Rink 5: Paul Kistle, Mike Richards, Ian Jefferies & Mike Jackson (all West). Rink 6: Gary Jackson (West), Craig Doughty (Holt), Steve Snell (WB) & Graham Shadwell (S Moulton).

Reserves: Barry Sictorness, James Nobbs (both WB), Billy McCay, Paul Macdonald (both Chippenham Town), Kevin Oliver, Kevin Rowden (both Holt) and Craig Hatherall (West).

  • WILTSHIRE’S junior men opened their South West Counties Under 25 League campaign with a victory over Devon last Sunday.

The team which contained eight local players were in excellent form winning by 23 shots in Taunton.

This latest win maintains their fine start to the season which sees them having only lost on one rink in 12 in regulation 21 ends play.

In this latest U25 match in which team manager Adam Tanner mixed the inter-county White Rose Trophy experience of Nick Revell, Tom Warner and Mike Titcombe Jnr at skip with the county’s young up and coming talent saw Wiltshire take the plaudits 76-53.

They won on two of the three rinks with skips Tom Warner and Mike Titcombe leading their fours to big wins.

Wiltshire’s next SWCL U25 game is again at Taunton but against Cornwall this time on Sunday July 6.

RESULTS
Rink 1: Ashley Plumb (Amesbury), Sheldon Warren (Westlecot), David Murray (Rodbourne Cheney) & Michael Titcombe (Westlecot) beat James Hampton 26-15. Rink 2: John Herman (Garrards), Jake Webster (Westlecot), Craig Morphet (Highworth) & Tom Warner (Amesbury) beat Jonathan Hoaen 36-17. Rink 3: Ben Choules (Highworth), Jamie Shadwell (Spencer Moulton), Matt Daniell (Wootton Bassett) & Nick Revell (Amesbury) lost to Jago Chapman 14-21.

Score: Wiltshire beat Devon 76-53.

  • BOWLS Wiltshire Men played a special match last Saturday at Spencer Melksham to celebrate the club’s 90th anniversary.

Under the leadership of 2014 men’s president Dave Richards (Trowbridge Westbourne) they won the match by 37 shots as they ran-out 143-106 victors.

Wiltshire took the honours on five of the six rinks but could only draw on president Richards’ rink.

Their next friendly match is today (Saturday) when they entertain Bowls Hampshire at Purton.

RESULTS Rink 1: Alan Small beat Iain Cameron 20-18. Rink 2: Roy Jones beat Patrick Mitchell 27-11. Rink 3: Dave Richards (pres) drew with Mel Coggins 19-19. Rink 4: Ron Salsbury beat Maurice Wigman 26-22. Rink 5: Richard Gardiner beat David Laws 26-22. Rink 6: Keith Evill beat Brian Godwin 25-14.

Score: Wiltshire beat Spencer Melksham 143- 106.

  • WESTLECOT trio Keith Williamson, Mike Shawyer and Ray Sowden have missed out on a place in the men’ county triples final and a place at Royal Leamington Spa in the national championships.

They were beaten 20-14 by Holt in the delayed county triples semi-final staged last Sunday morning at Chippenham Town.

Holt triples team of Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook and Ben Gadd will meet Spencer Moulton in the county final at Devizes in early September and represent Wiltshire at Leamington in early August.

In their delayed triples semi-final at Chippenham Town last weekend Ray Sowden’s trio from Westlecot were always adrift.

They trailed Holt 6-2 at five ends and 12-6 at 10. But hit back to pull the deficit back to 17-13 at 15 but then Holt edged away again to win 20-14.

RESULT Triples semi-final (at Chippenham Town) Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook and Ben Gadd (Holt) beat Keith Williamson, Mike Shawyer and Ray Sowden (Westlecot) 20-14.

  • THE last 16 in the county men’s national singles championship will be played this Monday, June 30 at both Wootton Bassett and Devizes.

Six local players have qualified for the last 16 and have also managed to avoid each other.

The draw has thrown up some interesting ties the pick being Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton, Bradford-on-Avon) versus fellow county player Chris Cheesley on his own green at Wootton Bassett.

Five-time former Wiltshire singles winner Mel Biggs (Westlecot) will face Wilton’s Mike Crane at Wootton Bassett while Westlecot’s Gary Jackson has drawn Downton’s Bob Tanner at Bassett also.

James Nobbs (Wootton Bassett) has to travel to Devizes to face Steve Lynn (Wilton) as does Swindon Town Gardens’ Tom Pittuck to meet former Somerset Player Andy Colebrooke (Spencer Moulton).

Meanwhile the vastly experienced Wootton Bassett player Neil Smith, who has made over 100 Middleton Cup appearances for Wiltshire, has drawn Chippenham Town’s Paul Macdonald.

DRAW At Wootton Bassett: Wayne Snook (Holt) v Nick Revell (Amesbury); Gary Jackson (Westlecot) v Bob Tanner (Downton); Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) v Chris Cheesley (Wootton Bassett); Mel Biggs (Westlecot) v Mike Crane (Wilton).

At Devizes: Andy Colebrooke (S Moulton) v Tom Pittuck (Swindon Town Gardens); James Nobbs (WB) v Steve Lynn (Wilton); Neil Smith (WB) v Paul Macdonald (both Chippenham Town); David Johns (Calne) v Wayne Simmonds (Holt).