WILTSHIRE produced another fine team performance to stay unbeaten, move to the brink of winning their Middleton Cup west group, and qualify for the quarter-finals in the inter-county championships for the fifth consecutive year.

Losing finalists three years ago, Wiltshire overcame a slow start at Wootton Bassett to claim a 128-109 over Worcestershire.

This latest success was Wiltshire’s third, having previously won away against Warwickshire and Dorset.

The Moonrakers now need just to win on one of the six rinks in their final west group match at Wootton Bassett on July 4 against Somerset - their nearest rivals - to win the group and qualify.

The Worcestershire success was built on big victories from the all local rinks, Westlecot’s Mel Biggs (18 shots) and Wootton Bassett’s Neil Smith (12) both recording their third wins of the campaign while Ben Gadd edged home by two shots.

Skips Graham Shadwell and Russell Francis both suffered last-end losses but Gary Morphet’s unchanged all-Bassett rink suffered a third successive defeat, going down 23-18.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Tom Warner, Nick Revell (both Amesbury), Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd (both Holt) beat Grant Burgess 22-20. Rink 2: Kevin Embling (Westlecot), Keith Bailey (Holt), Tom Walkley & Neil Smith (both Wootton Bassett ) beat Luke Lane 24-12. Rink 3: Barry Sictorness, Chris Cheesley, Dave Godwin & Gary Morphet (all WB) lost to Steve Poynter 11-22. Rink 4: Dave Snell (WB), Graham Hatherall, Mike Jackson & Mel Biggs (all West) beat Andy Walters 30-12. Rink 5: Wayne Simmonds, Kevin Rowden (both Holt), Andy Colebrooke & Russell Francis (both Spencer Moulton) lost to Ryan Atkins 25-26. Rink 6: Gary Jackson (West), Craig Doughty (Holt), Stephen Snell (WB) & Graham Shadwell (S Moulton) lost to Rob Stanley 16-17.

Score: Wiltshire beat Worcestershire 128-109 and 16pts to 6pts.

  • WOOTTON Bassett players dominate the rearranged county semi-finals in the men’s national fours and triples, which will now be staged at Chippenham Town tomorrow (Sunday).

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.

In the other triples semi-final, holders Holt, led by skip Ben Gadd, face Steve Heseltine’s trio, who have home advantage.

SEMI-FINALS DRAW

Fours at Chippenham Town, tomorrow (Sunday 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).

  • THE MEN’S national singles and pairs in the county championships are really beginning to simmer.

The last 16 in the singles will take place next Monday June 29 with four matches at Wootton Bassett and four at Devizes. The quarter-finals are set for a week later on July 6 at Chippenham Town.

While the pairs competition saw round four being staged in all four areas last night (Friday), with the last 16 scheduled for July 3, with four matches at Swindon BC and four at Chippenham Town. The quarter-finals are set for Holt on Friday, July 10.