ALL of the players who will represent Wiltshire in the men’s national championships at Worthing next month are now known.

The three outstanding county semi-finals in pairs and fours wereplayed at Westlecot and resulted in two local winners.

The outstanding pairs semi-final saw Swindon West End’s duo of Rodney Green and Ray Sowden trail 6-2 in the rain to Wootton Bassett’s Barry Sictorness and Michael Snell at five ends before hitting back to eventually win 22-11, Bassett conceding with five ends remaining.

Both outstanding fours semi-finals at Westlecot were close, the all-Westlecot clash of Mel Biggs’ rink versus Mark Dyer’s quartet going Biggs’ way - his third Worthing appearance next month and rink member Michael Richards’ second.

In the other fours, the Purton rink skipped by Colin Baker led England international Graham Shadwell’s Spencer Moulton before a single on each of the last two ends gave Shadwell victory.

RESULTS

PAIRS: Rodney Green & Ray Sowden (West End) beat Barry Sictorness & Michael Snell (Wootton Bassett) 22-11 (16 ends).

FOURS: Michael Richards, Jeff Nichols, Jamie Titcombe and Mel Biggs (Westlecot) beat Kevin Embling, Graham Hatherall, Mike Jackson and Mark Dyer (Westlecot) 22-16.

Dave Hall, Ian Walters, Max Holland and Colin Baker (Purton) lost to Tony Keating, Mick Perritt, Paul Macdonald and Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) 13-15.

  • THE men’s county finals in national singles, pairs, triples and fours take place at Chippenham Town on Saturday.

Seven of the eight finalists are drawn from three local clubs – Westlecot, Wootton Bassett and Swindon West End.

However, due to unavailability and Mel Biggs (Westlecot) through to three Wiltshire finals, the triples and fours showdowns will more than likely not be played until after Worthing in late August.

The men’s singles final is an all-Westlecot affair - vastly experienced ex-England international Biggs, a three-times former national champion versus teenager Michael Richards.

Richards, beaten in the Wiltshire final in 2008 but a singles semi-finalist at Worthing last year, is also the lead in Biggs’ fours through to the county final and Worthing.

The pairs features Biggs and his Middleton Cup partner Mike Jackson against West End’s Rodney Green and Ray Sowden.

FINALS

10.30am

SINGLES: Mel Biggs (Westlecot) v Michael Richards (Westlecot).

U25 SINGLES: Wayne Snook (Holt) v Nick Revill (Alderbury).

2pm

PAIRS: M Biggs & Mike Jackson (West) v Rodney Green & Ray Sowden (West End).

TBA

TRIPLES: John Williamson, Ian Williams and Steve Snell (Wootton Bassett) v Barry Sictorness, Michael Snell and Neil Smith (WB).

FOURS: M Richards, Jeff Nichols, Jamie Titcombe and M Biggs (West) v Tony Keating, Mike Perritt, Paul Macdonald and Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton).