WILTSHIRE men completed a successful president’s tour to the Isle of Wight.

Under the stewardship of 2018 county men’s president Stewart Allison (Chippenham Park) a total of four games were played, with the touring party of 33 based on the Isle of Wight at Shanklin, winning all four, their best performance for many years.

Cubs from Chippenham Park, Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Marlborough were represented as well as Avon (Melksham), Blue Circle, Spencer Moulton and Trowbridge Westbourne, while the party consisted of six former Wiltshire men’s presidents, an ex-South West Counties president and several county officials with 14 county clubs represented in total.

The opening day saw Wiltshire Tourists face local club Shanklin, recording a handsome 162-81 success, winning on four rinks, drawing on another and only losing on the other by a single shot.

Top honours went to the rink skipped by Chippenham Park’s Martyn Whittaker (26 shots) closely followed by club colleague senior vice-president Dave Williams (24 shots) while president Allison grabbed a single on the last end to draw and Keith Hutchens dropped seven shots on the last three ends to lose by one shot.

Next day the tourists recorded a victory at Ventnor 131-106, winning on four of the six rinks again, drawing on another and only losing on one.

Top rink honours went to tour veteran Hutchens’ foursome who registered a 22-shot success. All the other wins were by single figures with Steve Rose going down by nine shots.

Day three saw the tourists complete an Isle of Wight hat-trick with a 125-88 victory over Sandown.

Once again they won on four of the six rinks but lost on the other two.

Dan Harvey took top honours his rink winning by a 26-shot margin. Next best was his Rodbourne Cheney team colleague Rose with an eight-shot success and Dave Royle with six.

On the way home Wiltshire visited Hyde Abbey Bowling Club , one of three outdoor clubs in Winchester and rattled up their fourth successive victory as they powered past their hosts 147-78 to complete a tour clean sweep – the first for many seasons.

The tourists won on five rinks but lost on the sixth, a narrow three-shot reverse for the quartet skipped by Avon’s Danny Holland.

Leading the victory charge was Hutchens with a 23-shot winning margin closely followed by John Crowder (18 shots) and Allison (16 shots).

The tour also raised £800 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, president Allison’s chosen charity this year.

Allison’s final task as the 2018 county men’s president, before handing over the chain of office to club colleague Williams (Chippenham Park), the 2019 president elect, is to present the prizes to the county men’s championship winners and runners-up at the men’s annual dinner and presentation evening at the Assembly Hall, Melksham, in mid-November.

Next year's Wiltshire men’s annual autumn tour has been switched from Tenby in Wales to Somerset, with the touring party based in Taunton.

2018 Wiltshire Tourists: Stewart Allison (pres, Chippenham Park), Gordon Black (Blue Circle), Ken Bray (Avon), John Crowder (junior vice-pres, Avon), Dave Eaton (Royal Wootton Bassett & Shrivenham), Malcolm Ellis (Marlborough), Derek Francis (Avon), Ian Francis (Spencer Moulton), Rodney Giles (Rodbourne Cheney), Roger Green (S Moulton), Cliff Gumm (Trowbridge Westbourne), Mike Hallam (Downton), Peter Harding (Amesbury), Dan Harvey (R Cheney), Steve Herridge (Swindon), Vic Hilton (RWB), Frank Hinchliffe (Westlecot), Danny Holland (Avon), Keith Hutchens (C’ham Park), Keith Jopling (RWB), Tudor Lloyd (S’don), Dave Royle, Steve Rose (both R Cheney), John Snell (Alderbury), Gerry Tinson (C’ham Park), Andy Watson, Barry & Ross Wheeler (all S’don), Philip Wells (Avon), Martyn Whittaker (C’ham Park), John Wilks (RWB), Dave Williams (SVP, C’ham Park) and Peter Young (Malmesbury).

RESULTS

v Shanklin BC, Rink 1: Martyn Whittaker beat Steve Gallop 36-10; Rink 2: Dave Williams beat Den Bartrum 35-11; Rink 3: Steve Rose beat Phil Brooks 26-13; Rink 4: Keith Hutchens lost to Chris Earle 21-22; Rink 5: Dan Harvey beat Mitch Jones 31-12; Rink 6: Stewart Allison drew with Dave Roberts 13-13.

Score: Wiltshire beat Shanklin 162-81.

v Ventnor BC, Rink 1: D Harvey drew with Chris Beavis 20-20; Rink 2: S Allison beat Derek Venier 22-20; Rink 3: K Hutchens beat John Milmore 33-11; Rink 4: S Rose lost to John Walker 15-24; Rink 5: Danny Holland beat Tim Edwards 22-15; Rink 6: John Crowder beat Ted West 19-16.

Score: Wiltshire beat Ventnor 131-106.

v Sandown BC, Rink 1: J Crowder lost to B Powell 14-19; Rink 2: D Harvey beat J Attrill 33-7; Rink 3: Ian Francis lost to R Jemson 16-18; Rink 4: Dave Royle beat J Wrixon 24-18; Rink 5: K Hutchens beat A Hennings 21-17; Rink 6: Steve Rose beat C Crawford 17-9.

Score: Wiltshire beat Sandown 125-88.

v Hyde Abbey BC (at Winchester, Hants), Rink 1: S Allison beat S Johnston 29-13; Rink 2: J Crowder beat S Mould 26-8; Rink 3: K Hutchens beat P Tribbeck 29-6; Rink 4: D Williams beat C Elliott 17-12; Rink 5: S Rose beat J Street 24-14; Rink 6: D Holland lost to R Snook 22-25.

Score: Wiltshire beat Hyde Abbey 147-78.