WILTSHIRE Ladies made an excellent start to the 2018 outdoor bowls campaign with a hat-trick of victories last week.

They defeated Cornwall away narrowly in their opening South West Counties League match, won away in Wales in their first friendly game of the season, while the junior women notched a success in their first Amy Rose trial game of the year away against Hampshire.

Wiltshire faced Cornwall in the South West Counties League at Tiverton West End BC, south Devon where, despite only winning on two of the six rinks contested and drawing on another, they came out on top in a closely-fought match 120-117.

The Moonraker county led 30-28 across the board after five ends but Cornwall hit back to edge in front 56-53 at 10 ends and extend their narrow advantage to five shots 84-79 at 15 ends.

Back came Wiltshire though to tie matters at 100-100 after 18 ends and they were level at 117-117 overall after all but one of the six games had completed 21 ends.

The rink of June Corbett, Wendy Anderson, Janice Bull and Wroughton’s Babs Salter (skip) were still on the green and needed a single to ensure a Wiltshire overall victory or a three to pip Amesbury’s Janice Rowe and her quartet for top Wiltshire rink honours.

Salter’s foursome held their nerve to achieve both targets with a three on the 21st and last end to give the Moonrakers the victory and pip Rowe for the top rink slot 13 shots (28-15) to 12 shots (24-12).

The rink skipped by Purton’s Alison Fail led 18-12 after 17 ends but then dropped a three and three singles on the last four ends to draw 18-18.

Wiltshire’s next SWCL match is home to Somerset at Salisbury on Wednesday, June 13.

Under the stewardship of 2018 county ladies president Dawn Edwards (Avon, Melksham) Wiltshire ladies made a successful venture over the Severn Bridge to defeat West Glamorgan 129-103 at Brynhfrid Bowls Club, Neath.

Wiltshire took the honours on five of the six rinks with the Wendy Anderson’ rink the only team to taste defeat suffering a 13-shot reverse.

They never recovered from losing the first six ends and trailing 8-0.

Wiltshire in fact made a slow start and trailed overall 23-28 after five ends but had drawn level at 34-34 on the next. From that point onwards they never looked back and were always in control of the match.

They led 71-52 after 10 ends, 99-76 after 15, 108-91 and finished with a flourish to score another 21 shots and finally win 129-103.

Top rink honours went to the two Jones skips Mary from Devizes and Pat from Supermarine. Both recorded 10-shot victories closely followed by Margaret Annetts (nine), Wroughton’s Babs Salter (seven) while skip Ruth Gerrish edged home by three.

The next county ladies friendly match is away to Oxfordshire at Witney Town next Tuesday, May 22.

Wiltshire junior ladies made a fine start to their first Amy Rose trial match of the 2018 campaign, a 15-end friendly against Hampshire at Andover last weekend.

They led on both rinks after five ends. Joanna Hicks’ quartet were 5-3 up while Charlie Godwin’s foursome held a 6-2 advantage.

However after 10 ends Wiltshire trailed 14-16 as Hicks’ rink struggled with the tricky conditions and were 12-5 down but Godwin’s four found conditions a little easier on their rink and led 9-4.

Hicks’ team fought back to cut the gap to only four shots 16-12 down after 15 ends with a strong finish.

Godwin’s rink held their nerve maintaining their five shots advantage to post a 15-10 win at 15 ends and ensure that Wiltshire made a perfect start to the new Amy Rose campaign with a narrow 27-26 overall victory.

RESULTS

Wiltshire v Cornwall (South West Counties League) at Tiverton

Rink 1: Julia Hunt (Wanborough), Dawn Edwards (Avon), Deanne Davis (Wanboro) & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) lost to Shirley Coad 17-27. Rink 2: Ann Roberts-Phare (N Wilts), Mo Woolley (Alderbury), Jean Collier (Box) & Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) lost to Jennie Maunder 14-20. Rink 3: June Corbett (Wroughton), Wendy Anderson (Stratton C), Janice Bull (Amesbury) & Babs Salter (W’ton) beat Norma May 28-15. Rink 4: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Ann Hindley (Wilton), Bev Lilley (Devizes) & Alison Fail (Purton) drew with Jenny Prime 18-18. Rink 5: Viv Baskerville (Chip Town), Joan Coleman (Ames), Sheila Garlick (Dev) & Janice Rowe (Ames) beat Frances Turner 24-12. Rink 6: Glenda Hibberd, Lesley Trattles (both Wilton), Pat Jones (S’marine) & Fizz Mace (North Wilts) lost to Jane Rees 19-25.

Score: Wiltshire beat Cornwall 120-117 and by 15pts to 7pts.

Wiltshire v West Glamorgan (friendly) at Neath

Rink 1: Yvonne Savin (Chippenham Town), Jill Webb (Wroughton), Lesley Trattles (Wilton) & Ruth Gerrish (Bradford-o-A) beat M Cowley 21-18. Rink 2: Margaret Cooke (Broughton Gifford), Mo Price (Spencer Melksham), Janice Bull (Amesbury) & Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) beat W Evans 26-17. Rink 3: Jenny Couch (SM), Dawn Edwards (Avon), Mo Woolley (Alderbury) & Babs Salter (W’ton) beat Y Davies 22-15. Rink 4: M Pratt (Trowbridge West). Ros Corke (Wilton), Rosemary Fitzpatrick (Chip T) & Pat Jones (Supermarine) beat K Hawes 22-12. Rink 5: June Corbett (W’ton), Jean Buckland (Avon), Marilyn Kilburn (S’Marine) & Mary Jones (Devizes) beat M Davies 26-16. Rink 6: Ann Hindley (Wilton), Lynne Stanford (Ames), Jane Taylor (Box) & Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway) lost to G Thomas 12-25.

Score: Wiltshire beat West Glamorgan 129-103.

Wiltshire v Hampshire (Amey Rose trial) at Andover

Rink 1: Louise Rose (Rod Cheney), Kerry Hatherall (Royal Wootton Bassett), Georgina Newman (Avon) & Charlie Godwin (RWB) won 15-10. Rink 2: Emily Jacobs (Trowbridge West), Alison Wells (Avon), Maisie Daniell (RWB) & Joanna Hicks (Highworth) lost 12-16.

Score: Wiltshire junior ladies beat Hampshire 27-26.

FOUR combinations from clubs in the Swindon area, Stratton Churchway, Highworth, Supermarine and Wroughton, have qualified for the last eight (quarter-finals) in the county fours championship.

On Saturday at Amesbury, the Swindon quartet will be bidding to reach the last two in the county fours and reach this year’s ladies national championships at Royal Leamington Spa.

Wiltshire women’s county championships started in earnest a fortnight ago as two rounds in the county fours event were played with the third round and last 16 held around the county last Friday evening.

In the northern section Stratton Churchway beat Wroughton to reach the quarter-finals while Highworth defeated Wanborough to book a last eight place also.

Losing fours finalist last year Babs Salter’s Wroughton quartet have reached another fours quarter-final but have drawn the short straw having been paired in the top half of the draw in the last eight against the holders Box skipped by Alex Jacobs.

Undoubtedly the surprise package in the quarter-finals are the foursome from Supermarine of Cheryl Walker, Ann Andrews, Nicki Kemble-Young and Susan Griffiths who in their last two games eliminated county player Chippenham Town’s Irene Button and in the last 16 defeated 2015 winners Chippenham Town skipped by Barbara Land.

It is the first time the entire Supermarine rink members have reached a county fours quarter-final and will face a quartet from hosts Amesbury.

The other qualifiers from the southern section of Wiltshire are Spencer Melksham, Devizes and holders Box.

The fours quarter-finals will be played this morning at Amesbury with the four winners progressing to the semi-finals in the afternoon.

The two winning semi-finalists will face each other in the county fours final at Avon on Saturday, July 28 at Wiltshire ladies county finals day.

More importantly the two winning semi-finalists will have the distinction of being the first two teams to book a place at the 2018 national championships at Royal Leamington Spa and representing Wiltshire in the ladies fours championship.

Attention next week turns to the ladies triples championships with the last eight (quarter-finals) being held at Box next Saturday.

Rounds two and three of the triples will be held over the next few days.

FOURS DRAW/TEAMS

Quarter-finals at Amesbury (Sat, May 19) at 10.15am: Julie Crew, Marcia Cottle, Delia Godwin & Marilyn Jay (Spencer Melksham) v Patricia Reeves, Eileen Styles, Josie Mulligan & Mary Jones (Devizes); Box, holders (Carol Grenfell, Kathryn Yeoman, Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs) v June Corbett, Margaret Dowthwaite, Carol Woodward & Babs Salter (Wroughton).

Jackie Pearce, Johanna Bryant, Wendy Anderson & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) v Maggie Jordan, Ashley Lin, Patricia Pearce & Joanna Hicks (Highworth) ; Amesbury (Ann Humphries, Julie Mitchell, Janice Bull & Joan Coleman) v Cheryl Walker, Ann Andrews, Nicki Kemble-Young & Susan Griffiths (Supermarine).

The semi-finals will be played in the afternoon (approx 2.15pm)