SHRIVENHAM will have a representative in the ladies triples at the Bowls England national championships, which begin next weekend at Royal Leamington Spa.

The trio of Val Carter, Cathy Hope and Helen Simpson booked their place at headquarters with a comfortable 25-11 semi-final victory at Reading in the Berkshire ladies county triples championship.

Shrivenham led the three Anns – Baldwin, Leaver and Mann – 7-3 after five ends, 14-7 at 10, and had increased the advantage to 23-10 after 15, winning 25-11 after 17 ends only.

In the Berkshire triples final to be played at Thatcham today, Simpson’s team will play Vi Hales-Owen, Marion Evans and Lillian Holliday (Wokingham), who edged out Didcot 19-16 in the semi-finals.

To reach the triples final, Shrivenham played six matches, climaxing with a comfortable 21-11 win over Burghfield in the quarter-finals and an even more impressive 25-11 semi-final success over Windsor & Eton.

  • KATY Smith, from Royal Wootton Bassett, and holder Jean Collier (Box) claimed the two places available in the ladies singles to represent Wiltshire at the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa next month.

They booked their places last weekend after winning their respective semi-finals in the county ladies singles championship and will meet in the final at Supermarine today (10.30am).

Smith won her semi-final, beating Bassett team-mate Charlotte Daniell 21-12, while reigning champion Collier beat Purton’s Alison Fail 21-10 in the other semi-final.

RESULTS - Singles quarter-finals: Lesley Trattles (Wilton) lost to Alison Fail (Purton) 6-21; Viv Baskerville (Chippenham Town) lost to Jean Collier (holder Box) 14-21; Charlotte Daniell (Royal Wootton Bassett) beat Ann Hindley (Wilton) 21-15; Katy Smith (RWB) beat Alex Jacobs (Box) 21-8.

Semi-finals: Collier (holder, Box) beat Fail (Purton) 21-10; K Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) beat C Daniell (RWB) 21-12.

  • SUPERMARINE and Royal Wootton Bassett will be joined by Box, Devizes, Wilton and Avon in today's Wiltshire county ladies national finals day (10.30am) at Supermarine.

Marine and Bassett will contest two of the six finals, while Box will be represented in four finals, Devizes in two, and Wilton and Avon both have one player each who have qualified in singles competitions.

All the players taking part in finals day at Supermarine today have qualified to represent Wiltshire in the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

County Ladies finals day at Supermarine, today (10.30am): Two Wood Singles: Ann Hindley (Wilton) v Alex Jacobs (Box) Four Wood Singles: Jean Collier (holder, Box) v Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett).

U25 Singles: Lucy Smith (holder, RWB) v Georgina Newman (Avon) Pairs: Marilyn Kilburn & Pat Jones (Supermarine) v Rose Merritt & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) 2pm - Fours: Carol Grenfell, Karen Funnell, Sue Cooke & A Jacobs (Box) v Carol Sandry, M Kilburn, P Jones & Bev Millen (Supermarine) Triples: Kara Little, Jane Taylor & Michele Williams (Box) v R Merritt, Patricia Reeves & S Ochyra (Devizes).

  • ALEX JACOBS will defend her senior (over 55) crown at Royal Leamington Spa.

The Box player, who has won the title for the past two years at headquarters, opened this season’s competition with a 21-6 win in the preliminary round over team-mate Carol Grenfell, and followed that up with a 21-17 win over Sue Ochyra (Devizes).

She then beat Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) 21-6, and then Highworth’s Linda Kingston 21-15 in the county final.

  • WILTSHIRE Ladies' South-West Counties team bounced back from their surprise loss to Herefordshire with an excellent 134-105 win over Devon at Castle Cary.

RESULTS - Rink 1: Trish Jarrett lost to S Devonport 19-25. Rink 2: Sue Ochyra beat T Thomas 29-9. Rink 3: Margaret Annetts beat L Lock 21-19. Rink 4: Janet Willis beat L Healey 31-12. Rink 5: Rosemary Fitzpatrick beat J Howle 25-18. Rink 6: Carol Grefell lost to B Leach 9-22.

Score: Wiltshire 134 (18 pts) Devon (4)