WILTSHIRE Ladies were edged out by a single shot on the last end by leaders Worcestershire at Devizes in their fourth and final Johns Trophy group match of the campaign.

They went down 120-119 in this inter-counties championship West group game to finish third in the Group B table behind Worcestershire and runners-up Devon.

Despite leading on four rinks after 19 ends, Wiltshire took the honours on only two of the six rinks, drew on another but lost on the other three.

The rink of Jean Collier (Box), Maisie Daniell (Royal Wootton Bassett) and Highworth duo Joanna Richman and Linda Kingston (skip) won by three shots. Alex Jacobs’ rink, which included Purton’s Alison Fail, won by five, while Bassett’s Katy Smith, leading for Marcia Hartley’s rink, held on for a draw.

The match was tight throughout, with the pendulum swinging back and forth, just as it had three days earlier at Devizes when the two counties met in a South West Counties League match and drew 109-109 on shots and also drew on rinks 3-3.

Wiltshire were a shot down to Worcestershire across the board after five ends in the Johns match and five down five ends later.

A great revival in the second-half saw them move 92-84 up at 15 ends and 109-101 at 18. They only led 111-105 at 19 and in the run-in to the finishing line, failed to hold on despite leading on four rinks.

Their six-shot advantage was washed away as the 20th end across the board proved disastrous, with the Moonraker ladies dropping nine shots to trail 114-111.

They made a valiant effort to pull back the deficit and picked up eight shots but still dropped six to fall one shot short overall, losing 120-119.

  • THE TRIO of Alison Fail (Purton), Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) and Highworth’s Linda Kingston are named in an unchanged Wiltshire side for the Walker Cup west regional final at Winscombe on Sunday.

The county ladies selectors have decided to use the same eight players that beat Dorset 38-34 three weeks ago despite only winning on one of the two rinks in the inter-counties double rinks first round tie.

Wiltshire have been drawn against Devon in the semi-final, with the other regional semi featuring Worcestershire and Somerset.

The two winners meet in the afternoon regional final, with a place in the Walker Cup last four in the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa in August the prize for the victors.

  • SINGLES, the last of the top four events, have taken centre stage this week and will do so again next week on the Wiltshire county ladies national championship front.

The first round in the two areas, north and south of the county, were held on Monday with no major surprises taking place.

National singles competitions really liven up over the next week after the last 16 in the northern and southern sections were contested on Friday at various locations. The last eight matches in each area are due to be played on Monday.

This will produce four players from the north of the county and four from the south area to compete in the quarter-finals and semi-finals scheduled for Devizes on Saturday, July 23 with the two players left standing booking a place in the county ladies singles final and earning the right to represent Wiltshire in the singles event at Bowls England Headquarters at Royal Leamington Spa in August.