WILTSHIRE men are unbeaten and now favourites to win their Middleton Cup west group in the inter-county championship and reach the quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row.

The Moonrakers followed up their 19-shot win over Warwickshire at Rugby a week earlier by thumping Dorset 130-91 last weekend in their match played at Greenhill BC, Weymouth.

They won on four of the six rinks to collect 18 out of the 22 points on offer to become the only unbeaten county in the five team section and top the West B group table.

Wiltshire are now in a great position to win this section with two home matches at Wootton Bassett remaining against Worcestershire today (Saturday) and Somerset on July 4 - only the group winners progress to the quarter-finals on July 18.

The rinks skipped by Mel Biggs (Westlecot) and Neil Smith (Wootton Bassett) won by eight and one shot respectively, but there was no joy again for the all-Bassett rink skipped by Gary Morphet who lost 23-18.

“This was another very good team performance with four winning rinks,” said delighted Wiltshire player-manager Dave Snell.

“This win puts us in pole position especially with Somerset losing 14-8 on points against Warwickshire.

“However although we now have two home games to complete the group the players are well aware that they will both be tough games with the first being against Worcestershire this Saturday (today) at Wootton Bassett, ” he added cautiously.

Wiltshire are unchanged for the Worcestershire game today.

THE COUNTY U25 side missed out on qualifying at Bristol last Sunday for this year’s last four in the White Rose Trophy at Leamington.

Wiltshire junior men led their inter-counties double rinks regional semi-final with Devon 21-19 at halfway but then fell away in the second half and finally lost 44-34.

The all-local rink comprising of James Richman (Highworth), Westlecot’s Mike Titcombe and Gary Jackson and skipped by Wootton Bassett’s Kyle Anderson won 20-18, but the other rink led by Nick Revell always trailed and suffered a 26-14 reverse.

Devon went on to win the final, defeating Somerset 39-28.

WOOTTON BASSETT players dominate the re-arranged county semi-finals in the men’s national fours and triples which will now be staged at Chippenham Town on Sunday, June 28.

Three Bassett rinks contest the fours semi-finals while their two representatives in the triples have been drawn against each other in the afternoon semi-finals.

SEMI-FINALS DRAW Fours at Chippenham Town, Sunday, June 28 (10am): Kyle Anderson, Dave Snell, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell (Wootton Bassett) v James Nobbs, Terry Walton, Tom Walkley & Neil Smith (WB); Gary Jackson, Graham Hatherall, Mike Jackson & Mel Biggs (Westlecot) v Barry Sictorness, John Williamson, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet (WB).

Triples at Chippenham T (2pm): Wayne Simmonds, Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd (holders, Holt) v Andy Blake, Will Jones & Steve Heseltine (Chippenham Town); James Nobbs, Chris Cheesley & Gary Morphet (WB) v Kyle Anderson, Steve Snell & Dave Godwin (WB).

SHRIVENHAM have reached the semi-finals in the Berkshire county mixed double rinks competition.

They followed up previous wins over Abingdon and Morlands with a comfortable 44-21 quarter-final victory over Kingston Bagpuize.

They took the honours on both rinks to book their place in the semi-final against Bracknell at Reading on July 26.

Results: Val Carter, Yvonne Randall, Clive Randall & Keith Carter beat P Mortell 21-10. Eve Millidge, Helen Simpson, Dave Winskill & Scott Winskill beat C Lee Tuffnell 23-11.