THE ladies national championships began on Monday evening, with several shocks in the first round.

Last year’s county fours champions Purton and runners-up Highworth both made an early exit in the North section of the Wiltshire county fours competition.

Purton, skipped by Alison Fail, were beaten by a rink from Chippenham Town, led by Rosemary Fitzpatrick, while Highworth, skipped by Linda Kingston, went down to another Chippenham Town rink, skipped by Barbara Land.

However, five local fours, that were skipped by Babs Salter (Wroughton), Alison White (Swindon), Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway), Charlie Godwin (Wootton Bassett) and Deanna Gingell (Purton), safely negotiated the opening round.

The second round was due to be played last night, with the winners moving forward to the quarter-finals at Wootton Bassett today at 10.15am and the subsequent victors progressing to the semi-finals this afternoon.

The two semi-final winners will meet in the county final at Devizes on July 25 and will become the first Wiltshire combinations to book a place at the women’s 2015 national championships at Royal Leamington Spa this season.

  • WILTSHIRE Ladies made the perfect start to their 2015 South West Counties League programme with a 13 shots win over Cornwall.

They came from 102-94 down after 18 ends with a stunning fightback over the last three ends across the board to snatch an unlikely 122-109 success.

Top rink was the one skipped by Carol Grenfell who won by 15 shots. Meanwhile Delia Godwin’s four came from 18-11 down at 18 ends to grab a 19-19 draw.

The rink skipped by Stratton’s Janet Willis was 9-3 down at ten ends and 21-8 at 18 but won the last three, scoring seven shots without reply to cut their final loss to 21-15. playing a leading role in their team's late revival.

Wiltshire’s next SWCL match is away to Somerset at Vivary Park, Taunton, on June10.

  • NINE players from the Swindon area have been named in Wiltshire’s women’s side for the first Johns Trophy group match of the season at the end of the month against Devon at home at Devizes.

The team selected contains 16 members from last season’s side that finished the Johns campaign against Gloucestershire and Devon but only one new cap.

That is Kathryn Holmes who has switched over the border from Bath BC to Box.

Four local clubs supply the nine players picked for Wiltshire’s first inter-county championship match versus Devon.