WILTSHIRE Ladies made a brilliant start to their 2018 campaign in the inter-county championship for the Johns Trophy with a 15-shot (124-109) victory over Dorset at Sherborne.

They shared the rink honours at 3-3 but won easily on aggregate scores to bag 16 points out of the 22 on offer.

Wiltshire took 10 points for the aggregate win and six points for the three rink successes.

The ladies flew out of the traps and led 40-23 across the board at five ends but were hauled back to parity at 58-58 after 10 hard-fought ends.

The next five ends saw Wiltshire ladies re-establish their supremacy moving 90-75 clear after 15 ends and maintaining it at 18 to lead 108-92.

They finally won 124-109, their best start to a Johns Trophy campaign for several seasons.

Top rink honours went to the Purton trio of Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones and skip Alison Fail, who won last season’s national triples title but on this occasion were ably served at number three in the foursome by Janice Bull (Amesbury).

They won by 15 shots, two shots better than Marcia Hartley’s quartet of Avon club colleague Georgina Newman, and Box duo of Jean Collier and Debbie Shadwell who won their game 29-16.

The third rink success was achieved by the foursome of Ann Hindley (Wilton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Godwin (Royal Wootton Bassett) and skip Kathryn Yeoman (Box) who won 25-13.

Wiltshire were forced into a change during the match with Highworth’s Joanna Hicks withdrawing through illness after eight ends and being replaced by Spencer Melksham’s Delia Godwin.

There was no fairytale ending as this rink lost their game 22-10.

After one game Wiltshire ladies head the West A group in the Johns Trophy on shots difference.

They are tied on 16 points with Somerset but hold top spot as Somerset only beat Cornwall 124-113 for a plus-11 shot difference while Wiltshire are plus 15 having beaten Dorset 124-109.

Wiltshire ladies next match is away against Cornwall at Tiverton West End on June 23 which is deemed to be roughly halfway between the two counties bases at Devizes and St Austell as more than 100 miles travelling is involved to play the match.

The team for this game and the Walker Cup national county two fours competition against Cornwall at Vivary Park, Taunton the following day on June 24 has not been announced yet.

RESULTS

v Dorset (Johns Trophy) at Sherborne, Rink 1: Georgina Newman (Avon), Jean Collier, Debbie Shadwell (both Box) & Marcia Hartley (Avon) beat Penny Cresswell 29-16. Rink 2: Ann Hindley (Wilton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Charlie Godwin (Royal Wootton Bassett) & Kathryn Yeoman (Box) beat Lyn Howard 25-13. Rink 3: Maggie Jordan (Highworth), Bev Lilley (Devizes), Joanna Hicks (High, sub Delia Godwin Spencer Melksham after 8 ends) & Linda Young (High) lost to Bridget Hodder 10-22. Rink 4: Viv Baskerville (Chip Town), Sue Bird (Warminster), Deanne Davis (Wanborough) & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) lost to Ann Chislett 10-21. Rink 5: Dawn Toomer (Wilton), Wendy Anderson (Stratton C), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (capt, both Box) lost to Sue Willis 24-26. Rink 6: Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones (both Purton), Janice Bull (Amesbury) & Alison Fail (Purton) beat Gill Mitchell 26-11.

Score: Wiltshire beat Dorset 124-109 and by 16 pts to 6pts.

THE national pairs have reached the last eight stage in the southern and northern sections of the county ladies draw and were scheduled to be contested last night to leave four qualifiers from each section to join up for the quarter-finals to be played at Salisbury on July 1.

The northern section has five Swindon area pairings still running from Royal Wootton Bassett (two), Supermarine, Highworth and Purton as well as two combinations from North Wilts (Chippenham) and Malmesbury.

Katy and Lucy Smith (RWB) faced Bev Millen (Supermarine) and partner while Bassett skip Bev Williamson and partner was drawn against skip Linda Young (Highworth) and her partner

Purton’s Chris Mitchell and Alison Fail were due to meet North Wilts’ Fizz Mace and partner while in the other game North Wilts Janet Hardie and partner was due to face Malmesbury’s Paula Meekins and partner.

It is a busy weekend on the national front as the ladies two wood singles competition also clicks into gear this morning with matches being played in the northern section at Pewsey BC and in the south section on both greens at Devizes BC (10.15 am start at both).

Forty-three players had entered at Pewsey and 40 at Devizes with the last four at each progressing to the quarter and semi-finals at Avon next Friday, June 16 (5.45pm).

Once again two places at Royal Leamington Spa representing Wiltshire ladies in the national two wood championship singles are up for grabs.

WILTSHIRE Ladies made a highly successful start to their South West Counties League campaign last month at Tiverton with a last end 120-117 victory over Cornwall.

They will be aiming to extend their unbeaten SWCL start to 2018 with another victory when they entertain Somerset, next Wednesday, June 13 at Salisbury (1.30pm).

The 16 strong- side selected includes seven local players drawn from only three clubs.

Purton has the biggest representation with three while both Stratton Churchway and Wroughton supply two players each.

Purton’s Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones and skip Alison Fail are joined by Stratton’s Wendy Anderson at number three in a rink.

June Corbett leads for fellow Wroughton player Babs Salter in another rink with Stratton’s Janet Willis skipping on rink six.