WILTSHIRE men enjoyed a successful president’s tour to South Devon.

Under the stewardship of 2017 county men’s president John Southern, the squad played four games.

The Tourists won one match losing two narrowly with one abandoned due to a hailstorm and then heavy rain which flooded the green.

Of the total of 30 players on tour, clubs from Swindon (eight), Rodbourne Cheney and Royal Wootton Bassett (both four), plus Supermarine (two) and Westlecot (one) accounted for 19 of them.

The opening day saw the tourists face Babbacombe, however, that match was abandoned due to the inclement in weather.

The county then claimed a 105-94 victory at Marldon (Paignton) winning on four of the six rinks.

Top rink honours went to Southern’s foursome who registered a 17-shot success, while rinks skipped by Ian Francis, Steve Roseand Keith Hutchens also enjoyed wins.

Wiltshire then suffered a 114-111 defeat to Teignmouth’s Bitton Park, while the tourist stopped off at Gillingham in Dorset on the way home but suffered a narrow 100-98 defeat.

The successful South Devon tour also raised more than £600 for the Royal Navy Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), president Southern’s chosen charity this year.

RESULTS

v Babbacombe BC (at Babbacombe)

Rink 1: Cliff Gumm trailing O Thomas 5-12 (at 10 ends); Rink 2: Dan Harvey beating D Summer 14-11 (12); Rink 3: Steve Rose trailing N Owen 6-11 (10); Rink 4: Derek Francis drawing with J Steward 7-7 (10); Rink 5: John Southern trailing M Miller 6-12 (11); Rink 6: Keith Hutchens trailing R Levy 9-10 (12).

Score: Wiltshire 47 Babbacombe 63 - match abandoned.

v Marldon BC (at Paignton)

Rink 1: Tudor Lloyd lost to D Salter 12-21; Rink 2: John Southern beat G Hewer 21-4; Rink 3: Keith Hutchens beat K Davey 15-14; Rink 4: Steve Rose beat T Bowles 23-17; Rink 5: Ian Francis beat S O’Leary 20-13; Rink 6: Vic Hilton lost to T Powell 14-25.

Score: Wiltshire 105 Marldon 94.

v Bitton Park BC, Teignmouth (at Teignmouth)

Rink 1: Dan Harvey beat A Roberts 24-11; Rink 2: Dave Royle beat D Mercer 28-18; Rink 3: Keith Hutchens lost to D Pope 9-25: Rink 4: Ian Francis lost to A Davies 16-21; Rink 5: Tudor Lloyd lost to J Williams 15-24; Rink 6: Steve Rose beat M Dunn 19-15.

Score: Wiltshire 111 Bitton Park, Teignmouth 114.

v Gillingham BC (at Gillingham, Dorset)

Rink 1: Mike Hallam lost to P Titheridge 10-26; Rink 2: Keith Hutchens lost to C Green 13-23; Rink 3: Dave Royle beat S Woods 17-13; Rink 4: Steve Rose drew with S Black 15-15; Rink 5: John Southern lost to J Black 11-16; Rink 6: Dan Harvey beat R Wing 32-7.

Score: Wiltshire 98 Gillingham 100.