WILTSHIRE ladies have missed out on a place at Royal Leamington Spa following their Walker Cup west final 44-34 defeat to Somerset.

Having lost to their West Country rivals in the Johns Trophy a fortnight ago, Wiltshire battled Somerset once again in this inter-counties double rink competition after beating Herfordshire 44-30 in the semi-finals at Victoria BC in Weston-super-Mare.

However, the host county proved too strong for the Moonrakers.

Wiltshire trailed 9-7 overall after five ends against and the gap was still two shots down after ten ends 21-19.

However, Somerset pulled away to lead 35-25 at 15 ends and 42 -29 at 18. Wiltshire made a final push cutting the gap to 44-35 but still lost.

Alex Jacobs rink edged home 20-19 with four shots on the last three ends and conceded none. However, Kathryn Yeoman’s four had been playing catch-up from the sixth end and finally lost by ten shots 23-15.

RESULTS West Region - Semi-finals

Wiltshire v Herefordshire

Rink 1: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Sue Cooke (Box), Alison Fail (Purton) & Alex Jacobs (Box) beat Barbara Griffiths 25-14.

Rink 2: Georgina Newman (Avon), Ann Hindley (Wilton), Marcia Hartley (Avon) & Kathryn Yeoman (Box) beat Jennie Cole 19-16.

Score: Wiltshire beat Herefordshire 44-30

FINAL

Wiltshire v Somerset

Rink 5: G Newman, A Hindley, M Hartley & K Yeoman lost to Rebecca McMillan, Celia Whitmarsh, Laura Holden & Stef Branfield 15-25.

Rink 6: C Mitchell, S Cooke, A Fail & A Jacobs beat Pauline Dando, Elaine Amery, Joan Walmsley & Kirsty Hembrow 20-19.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Somerset 35-44.

LADIES county championship finals will be staged in the Under 25 pairs and Over 55 fours at Purton today.

Also the semi-finals in the U25 ladies singles will be held to produce two finalists for the Wiltshire women’s finals day at Alderbury next Saturday.

The Smith sisters from Royal Wootton Bassett Lucy, 22 and Katy 20 have dominated the junior ladies U25 section for several seasons and will defend their pairs title they have won for the past four seasons and will face club-mates Maisie and her elder sister Charlotte Daniell in the last four.

The other semi-final features Georgina Newman and Kara Little against Bethany Little and Joanna Hicks.

A new competition introduced this year Over 55 Fours (senior fours) will see its initial final staged at Purton also today. It will feature teams from Supermarine led by Pat Jones and Wilton led by Lesley Trattles.

PROGRAMME

U25 Singles semi-finals (at Purton): Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) v Lucy Smith (holder, RWB); Kara Little (Box) v Georgina Newman (Avon).

Winners meet in final at county ladies finals day, Alderbury July 29.

Ladies O 55 fours final: Carol Sandry, Glenice Truman, Susan Griffiths & Pat Jones (Supermarine) v Ann Hindley, Dawn Toomer, Lesley Trattles & Cathy Burrows (Wilton).

U25 pairs semi-finals: Georgina Newman (Avon) & Kara Little (Box) v Beth Little (Box) & Joanna Hicks (Highworth); Lucy & Katy Smith (RWB) v Maisie & Charlotte Daniell (RWB).

Two winners meet in the final in the afternoon.

STRATTON CHURCHWAY duo Wendy Anderson and Janet Willis have booked a place in the national ladies senior pairs championships at Royal Leamington Spa next month.

They won the Wiltshire qualifier by defeating the Spencer Melksham partnership of Delia Godwin and Marilyn Jay 23-10.

THE BENEVOLENT triples is down to the semi-final stages.

Qualifiers after the third and fourth round stages were held at Highworth and Box were, from the north area Babs Salter (Wroughton) who edged home 14-13 against Julia Hunt (Wanborough) and Fizz Mace (North Wilts) who beat Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) 17-10.

The semi-final draw sees Joyce Lewis, June Corbett and Babs Salter (Wroughton) facing Josie Mulligan, Bev Lilley and Sheila Garlick (Devizes) while Ann Greenland, Anne Roberts-Phare and Fizz Mace (North Wilts) meet Jenny Oliver, Sheila French and Joan Tugwell (Trow West) at Devizes on domestic finals weekend on September 10-11.

WILTSHIRE ladies won two of their three matches in the space of eight days in the South West Counties League and county friendlies.

They were beaten by two shots away against Worcestershire 98-100 at Hewell despite sharing the rink honours 3-3.

But they made it three wins out four this season in the SWCL eight days later beating Herefordshire away at Ross-on-Wye comfortably 132-83.

The previous day in a rain affected game Wiltshire had beaten Hampshire 104-81 at Pewsey Vale in a county friendly.

Results (skips only)

v Worcestershire (SWCL) Rink 1: Janet Willis lost to J Drewer 13-14. Rink 2: Babs Salter lost to A Cartwright 13-23. Rink 3: Janice Rowe beat M Borthwick 23-15. Rink 4: Carol Grenfell beat M Crowe 24-13. Rink 5: Alison Fail beat J Parfitt 14-12. Rink 6: Margaret Annetts lost to D Jackson 11-23.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Worcestershire 98-100 and by 6pts to 16pts.

v Herefordshire (SWCL) Rink 1: Carol Grenfell beat Jennie Cole 23-11. Rink 2: Janet Willis beat L Allen 23-14. Rink 3: Janice Rowe lost to B Harvard 20-22. Rink 4: Margaret Annetts beat Barbara Griffiths 24-12. Rink 5: Alison Fail lost to Jenny Murray 16-17. Rink 6: Babs Salter beat R Owen 26-7.

Score: Wiltshire beat Herefordshire 132-83 and by 18pts to 4pts.

v Hampshire at Pewsey Vale (friendly) Rink 1: Margaret Annetts beat M Leppard 27-7. Rink 2: Trish Jarrett drew with L Hayward 16-16. Rink 3: Mo Woolley lost to R Corney 9-18. Rink 4: Pat Jones beat P Lambshead 22-6. Rink 5: Babs Salter lost to K Patrick 12-19. Rink 6: Fizz Mace beat B Sparling 18-15.

Score: Wiltshire beat Hampshire 104-81.