BOWLS: Stratton set the pace with win (From Swindon Advertiser)

BOWLS: Stratton set the pace with win

6:00am Saturday 26th May 2012 in Sport

Stratton CHURCHWAY have become the first local club to book a place at the 2012 National Championships.

The rink of Ellen Bolland, Mavis Romans, Wendy Anderson and skip Janet Willis have qualified for the Women’s National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa at the end of July.

They, along with Box, were victorious in the semi-finals of the Wiltshire ladies national fours championship held at Bradford-on-Avon on Saturday.

The two teams will meet on county finals day at Swindon’s Town Gardens on Saturday July 21, where Stratton will be looking to go one step better having finished as runners up in the county fours trophy last year.

In the bottom half of the draw in the quarter-finals, Stratton just edged home in a tense contest beating Deanna Gingell’s rink from Purton on the 21st and last end by one shot 16-15.

In the other quarter-final, a new Spencer Moulton quartet won comfortably 32-4 over Westlecot.

However, in the semi-final Stratton found life much easier romping to an easy 16 shots victory over Spencer Moulton.

In the other semi Box booked their place in the final with a two shots victory over a battling Devizes team.

Wiltshire women have drawn the short straw and been paired away this Sunday (tomorrow) against Cornwall at Tiverton West End in the only Walker Cup preliminary round game.

The winners move forward to face Somerset at home in the first round in four weeks time.

Wiltshire selectors have chosen two rinks that have already played well together twice this season and include two local players.

They are Purton’s Alison Fail at lead in rink one and Highworth’s Linda Kingston at three in the other one.

The Johns Trophy selectors have opted to keep a similar side for Wiltshire’s opening game in the competition against Somerset on June 2. The selectors keep faith with four of the rinks and only make three changes to the other two.

Six local players from five different clubs are named in the team - Westlecot, Town Gardens, Stratton Churchway, Highworth and two players from Purton.

Town Gardens’ June Corbett opened her 2012 season as Wiltshire Women’s county president with a winning start in a series of friendly county matches.

She led her representative team to a 115-107 victory over West Glamorgan at Brynhyfrid and had the added bonus of leading her own rink to victory against the West Glamorgan presidential rink.

WILTSHIRE TEAM TO PLAY CORNWALL Rink 1: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs (both Box). Rink 2: Rose Ellis, Janice Bull (both Amesbury), Linda Kingston (Highworth) and Carol Grenfell (Box). Res: Fizz Mace (North Wilts), Margaret Webber (Alderbury).

JOHNS TROPHY TEAM TO PLAY SOMERSET Rink 1: Margaret Webber (Alderbury), Debbie Shadwell (Spencer Moulton), Josie Lloyd (Westlecot) and Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway). Rink 2: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs (both Box). Rink 3: Rose Ellis, Janice Bull (both Amesbury), Linda Kingston (Highworth) and Carol Grenfell (Box). Rink 4: Ann Hindley (Wilton), June Corbett (Town Gardens), Kim Smith (S Moulton) and Fizz Mace (North Wilts). Rink 5: Sue Dix, Jean Collier (both Box), Nancy Oliver (Salisbury) and Marguerite Alexander (Devizes). Rink 6: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Sue Burgess (War), Marcia Cottle, Delia Godwin (Spencer Melksham).

Reserves: Janet Willis (Stratton C), Viv Baskerville (Chippenham T) and Glenda Hibberd (Wilton).