STRATTON Churchways duo of Jacki Pearce and Janet Willis snatched victory on an extra end in a dramatic ladies county pairs semi-final at Chippenham Town last Saturday to keep alive their hopes of retaining their county pairs title.

They looked down and out as they had to give second best to Devizes pairing of Rose Merritt and Sue Ochyra for three-quarters of their semis match and were trailing 18-8 after 15 ends with only six more to play.

But then pairs holders Pearce and Willis produced a stunning comeback to claim a remarkable victory albeit needing a 22nd and extra end.

After trailing 8-1 at five ends, 13-6 at ten and losing 18-8 after 15 the Stratton Churchway pairing dug deep to claw the ten shots deficit back.

However, they were still 19-15 down going into the 21st and last end but grabbed a badly needed count of four to tie the game 19-19 force an extra end and then duly win that with a single to book their place in the county pairs final 20-19.

They also earned the right to represent Wiltshire at Royal Leamington Spa again in the national pairs championship in August.

In the other semi-final at Chippenham Town in the afternoon Wilton’s Dawn Toomer and Lesley Trattles recorded a comfortable 27-14 victory over Amesbury’s Rose Ellis and Janice Bull.

Earlier in the day Merritt and Ochyra had eliminated Purton in the top half of the draw 25-21 coming back from 21-18 down after 18 ends, while Stratton had defeated Spencer Melksham duo Jenny Couch and Delia Godwin comfortable 25-15 in the other morning quarter-final.

While in the bottom half of the draw the Chippenham Town combination of Kara Little and Irene Button had been edged out in their quarter-final 19-17 by Ellis and Bull (Amesbury) while Wilton’s Toomer and Trattles boosted by a six on the 17th end were 29-19 winners over Wroughton duo Di Gibbs and Jill Webb.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals (at Chippenham Town): Rose Merritt & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) beat Chris Mitchell & Alison Fail (Purton) 25-21; Jenny Couch & Delia Godwin (Spencer Melksham) lost to Jacki Pearce & Janet Willis (holders, Stratton Churchway) 15-25; Rose Ellis & Janice Bull (Amesbury) beat Kara Little & Irene Button (Chippenham T) 19-17; Dawn Toomer & Lesley Trattles (Wilton) beat Di Gibbs & Jill Webb (Wroughton) 29-19.

Semi-finals: Pearce & Willis (Stratton C) beat Merritt & Ochyra 20-19 (extra end); Toomer & Trattles (Wilton) beat Ellis & Bull (Amesbury) 27-14.

SISTERS Lucy and Katy Smith won the county ladies U25 pairs title last Sunday afternoon at Chippenham Town with an 18-15 victory to complete a straight hat-trick of county ladies U25 pairs titles.

After a closely fought 21-17 win in the morning semi-finals over fellow Wootton Bassett players Maise and Charlotte Daniell coming from 13-8 down at ten ends they had no such problems in the final.

They controlled that game throughout against opponents Georgina Newman (Trowbridge Town) and Kara Little (Chippenham Town).

The Smiths led 6-2 at five ends, 11-5 at ten, 15-10 at 15 but despite dropping a five on the 17th still had three shots to spare winning 18-15.

Lucy, who celebrates her 20th birthday next week and younger sister Katy, 18, will now represent Wiltshire for the third time in a row in the final stages of the ladies U25 pairs championship at Royal Leamington Spa on Saturday, August 15.

In the other morning semi-final Newman and Kara Little had an easy win over Kara’s sister Bethany Little and Highworth’s Joanna Richman pulling away from only 8-6 up at ten ends to a comfortable 20-7 success.

Only one Wiltshire duo in the U25 pairs can claim a Leamington place as representatives of one or two combinations are determined by the number of entries in each counties qualifiers and Wiltshire only had four.

RESULTS

Semi-finals (at Chippenham Town): Lucy & Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett) beat Maisie & Charlotte Daniell (WB) 21-17; Georgina Newman (Trowbridge Town) & Kara Little (Chippenham T) beat Bethany Little (Chip T) and Joanna Richman (Highworth) 20-7.

FINAL: L & K Smith (WB) beat G Newman (Trow T) & K Little (Chip T) 18-15.

THE ATTENTION on the ladies front in Wiltshire has now switched to the two wood singles championship and the Johns Trophy.

The quarter and semi-finals in the ladies county two wood singles were due to be played last night at North Wilts with the two players left standing for the county final also claiming a place at the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

Four local players had qualified for the last eight - June Corbett (Town Gardens), Alison Fail (Purton), Carole Coombs (Westlecot) and Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett).

Meanwhile after narrowly losing to Devon by three shots in their opening inter-county championship Johns Trophy group match Wiltshire must beat Dorset away today (Saturday) at West Moors to keep their hopes of national glory in this competition alive this season.

The selectors have made three changes to the side that lost to Devon bringing into the side Wanborough’s Deanne Davis for her Johns Trophy debut as well as recalling Box duo Jean Collier and Carol Grenfell at the expense of Bev Lilley (Devizes), Julie Jones (Purton) and Janice Rowe (Amesbury).

Two Wood Singles Draw Quarter-finals (last night at N Wilts): June Corbett (Town Gardens) v Alison Fail (Purton); Carole Coombs (Westlecot) v Jean Collier (Box); Katy Smith (Wootton Bassett) v Alex Jacobs (Box); Sue Cooke (Box) v Janice Bull (Amesbury).