PURTON and Highworth have become the first clubs in the county to book a place at the 2014 Ladies National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa at the beginning of August.

They were victorious at Amesbury last Saturday in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Wiltshire ladies national fours championship.

Purton, previous winners of the county fours trophy on three occasions and Highworth, whose only previous win was in 1995, will meet on county finals day at Westlecot on Saturday, July 26.

But more importantly the two foursomes will travel to Leamington to represent Wiltshire in the national championships.

From an initial entry of 42 teams eight fours combinations had battled their way through to the latter stages of the county national fours at Amesbury last weekend.

In the top half of the draw Alison Fail’s rink, beaten fours finalists last year, comfortably won their quarter-final accounting for local club Wanborough skipped by Carol Woodbrige.

They led 13-0 at five ends, 18-2 at 10 and 24-4 at 15 before finally winning 27-7, meanwhile Wootton Bassett led by Pat Edmonds had an easy 23-11 win over Avon after leading 14-3 at ten ends and 19-8 at 15.

And in the semi-finals Purton always held the upperhand over Bassett.

They led 11-4 at 10 ends, 16-7 at 15 and finally won 19-9.

However, in the bottom half of the draw, Highworth skipped by Wiltshire county player Linda Kingston had a far more dramatic passage to the county national fours final.

In the quarter-finals Highworth led Winsley skipped by Sandra Bartlett 10-2 after seven ends but lost the next nine ends to trail 21-10 after 16 and staring defeat in the face.

But then Kingston’s four staged a remarkable comeback aided by a count of seven on the 18th end to lead 23-21 after 20, however, they then dropped a two on the last end to send the match into an extra end.

Highworth grabbed a decisive single to claim a dramatic 24-23 victory and a semi-final tie against Alderbury who had knocked-out the holders Amesbury 23-4 in the other quarter-final.

In the semi-final Kingston’s quartet made a good start and led 8-2 after five ends, and 10-6 at 10.

However, they were pulled back and after 17 ends were tied at 14-14 and another dramatic finish was on the cards.

But Highworth upped their game again to win the last four ends for a 19-14 success and book a place in the final against Purton plus a trip to Leamington to represent Wiltshire in the national fours championships.

The attention now switches from the fours to the ladies triples competition which commences in earnest on Monday.

FOURS RESULTS

Quarter-finals: Dol Hagger, Linda Clarke, Jean Crepaz & Carol Woodbridge (Wanborough) lost to Chris Mitchell, Sue Crouch, Julie Jones & Alison Fail (Purton) 7-27 (19 ends); Sue Reeve, Ginny Nash, Maureen Rogers (sub for Barbara Twine) & Pat Edmonds (Wootton Bassett) beat Jean Buckland, Tessa Gallagher, Marian Lockey & Marcia Hartley (Avon) 23-11 (20 ends); Patricia Legge (Gill Chandler), Nina Bevan, Janet Hoskins & Sandra Bartlett (Winsley) lost to Maggie Jordan, Joy Evans (sub for Jenny Wilson), Joanna Richman & Linda Kingston (Highworth) 23-24 (after extra end); Maureen Woolley (Alderbury) beat Joan Coleman (holder, Amesbury) 23-4 (16 ends only).

Semi-finals: Fail (Purton) beat Edmonds (WB) 19-9; Kingston (Highworth) beat Woolley (Alderbury) 19-14.