HOLDERS Wootton Bassett and Westlecot are through to the semi-finals of the Wiltshire Men’s Four Rink League play-offs, but Highworth and Swindon West End were both beaten in the last eight.

Despite only finishing as runners-up to Westlecot in the Area B section, Bassett booked their spot with a comfortable quarter-final victory over Area D champions Amesbury.

They took the honours on all four rinks, winning 87-57 overall, with skips Dave Godwin and Steve Snell leading the way with 26-14 and 24-14 victories respectively.

Westlecot were pushed much harder by Salisbury, runners-up in Area D, in their quarter-final, drawing on one rink at home and losing on the other by a single shot. The two away rinks skipped by Mike Jackson and Ian Jefferies came to their rescue with 11 and three-shot victories respectively.

Highworth, the runaway Area A group winners, went out to Area C runners-up Spencer Moulton, Swindon West End having earlier exited the competition after losing 101-45 to Holt.

The semi-finals will be played tomorrow, on neutral greens, Bassett facing Holt at Chippenham Town, and Westlecot up against Spencer Moulton at Swindon West End.

  • WESTLECOT ladies were beaten 73-65 by North Wilts in the northern sectional final in the Wiltshire Ladies Top Ten competition, taking the honours in the singles and fours, but seeing the advantage wiped out on the triples and pairs.
  • AT THE county ladies unbadged two-wood singles competition at Devizes last Saturday, Wroughton’s Margaret Dowthwaite progressed to the last four to compete for the title at Bowls Wiltshire Ladies finals day at Devizes on September 5-6.
  • THE MEN’S quarter and semi-finals in three county competitions will be staged today at Chippenham Town.

Matches will be played in the unbadged singles, over 60s triples as well as champion of champions, with the two finalists in each event progressing to finals day at Devizes next weekend.

Holders Eric Collier, Dave Mitchell and Colin Baker (Purton) face Holt trio Howard Davis, Dave Betteridge and Don Gray in the first semi-final of the Over 60s triples. Another Purton trio of Peter Mitchell, Mike Crouch and John Williams face a triple from Chippenham Town skipped by Rob Clews.

In the singles quarter-finals, Brian Stokes (Highworth) plays Ashley Plumb (Amesbury), Lawrence Smith (Wootton Basset) faces Mike Crane (Wilton), Shaun Hicks meets Frazier Boynton (Alderbury), while Joe Stout (Wroughton) plays Ian Higgins (Box).