WILTSHIRE county teams endured mixed results in the inter-county championship games last Saturday.

The men beat Worcestershire 138-65 in the second round of the Liberty Trophy at Malvern Hills to book a quarter-final slot but the ladies missed out on reaching the last eight of the Atherley Trophy as they did not deliver a bowl in anger, conceding their away second-round tie to Devon.

“Due to lack of support it was decided by the committee to concede the game,” said Wiltshire County Women’s Indoor Bowling Association secretary Ann Roberts-Phare, from North Wilts.

Opponents Devon move forward with a walkover and will face Dorset in the quarter-finals on January 13.

Wiltshire men had no such problems against Worcestershire, leading from the outset with five of the skips including player-manager Neil Smith all winning in a 73-shot success.

The rink containing North Wilts players Steve Snook and Darren Anteney plus Nick Revell and skipped by Christie Miller’s Andy Moore won by 15 shots while the other Christie player Tom Newman was in the Kyle Anderson foursome that took top rink honours with a massive 31-3 victory.

Ian Jefferies quartet were second best with a 20-shot win while Tom Warner won by 10 shots and Smith by two. The only defeat was suffered by Mike Titcombe, who lost narrowly 14-16.

Jubilant manager Smith said: “(It was) a very good team performance for our team, just what I was looking for.

“We realised they had players missing but we weren’t taking anything for granted. I asked for a professional performance and I got it.”

Smith added: “We're looking forward to facing Devon in the new year (January 13).”

RESULTS

Rink 1: Jordan Moody (Five Rivers, Salisbury), Tom Pittuck, Phil Gregory & Neil Smith (all Westlecot) beat Neil Brereton 12-10.

Rink 2: Steve Snook, Darren Anteney (both North Wilts), Nick Revell (FR) & Andy Moore (Christie Miller) beat John Cracknell 27-12.

Rink 3: Ashley Plumb, Jamie Reynolds, Fraser Boynton & Tom Warner (all Five Rivers, Salisbury) beat Alan Griffiths 22-12.

Rink 4: James Richman, Mike Richards, Mel Biggs & Mike Titcombe (all West) lost to Neil Smith 14-16.

Rink 5: Tom Newman (CM), Terry Walton, Dave Godwin & Kyle Anderson (all West) beat Graham Arnold 30-3.

Rink 6: Kevin Embling, Craig and Graham Hatherall & Ian Jefferies (all Westl) beat Jim Knowles 33-12.

Score: Wiltshire beat Worcestershire 138-65 NORTH Wilts men were beaten again in the central section of the Wessex League last Sunday going down to fellow strugglers Nailsea by 14 shots.

This was despite winning on two rinks and losing on the other two as they went down 72-86 to the north Somerset side.

Rinks skipped by Trevor Cooke away won by five shots while the home rink at Westcroft, skipped by Keith Hutchens, edged home by a shot.

However in Nailsea Dave Williams’ quartet lost by five shots but decisive in the final scoreline was the thumping 16-shot loss suffered by the home foursome led by Richard Gainey.

North Wilts collected four of the 16 points on offer for the two rink wins.

It just kept them in seventh place in the central league table on 19 points, two behind Christie Miller, but one point clear of Nailsea and 13 above basement side Thornbury.

The central region closes down for the festive period and does not re-start until mid-January.

RESULT (skips only)

Home - Rink 1: Richard Gainey lost to Debroy Gregory 14-30. Rink 2: Keith Hutchens beat A Knight 19-18.

Away - Rink 1: Trevor Cooke beat S. Secker 24-19. Rink 2: Dave Williams lost to Dave Flower 15-19.

Score: North Wilts lost to Nailsea 72-86 and by 4pts to 12pts.

NORTH Wilts ladies go into the festive break still running in three women’s national team events and prominently represented in the four main championship events - singles, pairs, triples and fours.

Winners nine years ago and losing semi-finalists last season they are through to round five in the Yetton Trophy and will play Reading side Rivermead on January 6.

They have also qualified for the third round in the Mason Trophy, ladies Over 60 double rinks and face a local derby against Christie Miller, Melksham on January 19.

While the Vivienne Trophy, four rinks of triples for non-Yetton Trophy players, has only just begun. North Wilts had a round one bye and do not start their campaign in this competition until January 11 with a second round match against Somerset side Taunton Deane.

In the national championships events Alex Jacobs and Janet Hardie are still running in the singles while Fizz Mace and partner plus Jean Collier and partner are through to round three in the pairs.

Jacobs’ trio are the only team still going in the triples while Jacobs and Mace still have an interest in the ladies national fours.