WOOTTON Bassett have never won the county ladies triples title since the county championships were introduced in 1947 but will be looking for their first having reached this year’s final.

Last Saturday at Salisbury, in the last eight of the county national triples, the Bassett trio of Maureen Rogers, Charlotte Harding and Doris Woodley booked their place in the final at Westlecot on July 26 but also earned the right to represent Wiltshire at Royal Leamington Spa at the National Championships in this event at the beginning of August.

In the morning quarter-finals last weekend Wootton Bassett were in superb form as Rogers, Harding and Woodley thumped a trio from Swindon skipped by Alison White 27-11.

In the other quarter-final, in the top half of the draw, last season’s county triples champions Wendy Anderson, Ellen Bolland and Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) came from 6-2 down at five ends to beat Pewsey Vale 17-16.

In the semi-final Bassett, skipped by Doris Woodley, always held the upper hand over Stratton Churchway, led by Janet Willis.

They led 5-2 at five ends, 12-4 at 10, 15-12 at 15 and eventually won 18-14 to oust the champions and book a spot in the final.

In the bottom half of the draw the Spencer Melksham trio of Jenny Couch, Marilyn Jay and Delia Godwin, in a very tight match, just had the edge pulling off a fine win over Box skipped by Alex Jacobs by two shots in their quarter-final.

While in the other quarter-final match a Salisbury triple, led by Margaret Annetts, denied another Spencer Melksham trio, skipped by Cristabel Francis, by three shots winning 19-16.

Godwin’s Spencer Melksham triple made a fine start in their semi-final and led Salisbury, skipped by Annetts 6-2 at five ends, 12-5 at 10 and 17-9 at 15 but then had to withstand a late flourish before eventually winning 18-14.

The two semi-final winners Wootton Bassett and Spencer Melksham will meet in the county ladies triples final at Westlecot in late July as well as representing Wiltshire in the nationals at Bowls England Leamington Spa headquarters in August.

The attention now switches to the county ladies national pairs championship which gets under way in earnest this week.