Stratton Churchway have become the first local club to book a place in the 2011 Ladies’ National Championships.

They claimed the honour of representing Wiltshire at Leamington Spa at the beginning of August when successfully booking a place in the final of the county national fours competition last Saturday at Chippenham Town.

Both Stratton Churchway and Warminster fought their way through to the last two from an initial entry of 46 rinks.

Of the two finalists Stratton Churchway have only won the Wiltshire fours crown on four occasions since the competition first began in 1947 while Warminster have yet to win the title.

Stratton’s successes came in 1956, 1963, 1966 and the last in 1974. However, they did last reach the final in 1992 but on that occasion lost out to Cricklade.

Janet Willis was a member of that losing quartet 19 years ago playing at number three and will be hoping to go one better this time around having led her rink to the fours final this year at Amesbury on Saturday, July 23.

Warminster and Stratton booked their places in the final following fine performances in the quarter and semi-finals staged last weekend on the green at Chippenham Town.

In the top half of the draw Sue Burgess’ Warminster rink accounted for Marcia Cottle (Spencer Melksham) 23-18 in the first quarter-final while Glenys Truman’s Supermarine quartet comfortably beat Wanborough 19-10.

And in the semi-finals Warminster looked to be well on top of Supermarine but then had to pull out all the stops with a brilliant grandstand finish to seal victory and shatter Marine’s hopes,collecting a two on the 20th end and then a four on the last to claim a 21-19 win.

In the bottom half of the draw Willis’ Stratton rink raced into a 14-3 lead over Chippenham but had to fend off a comeback to win 20-19.

In the semi-final versus Wilton, Stratton raced into a 9-2 lead at seven ends but were pegged back to 14-14 all at 15 ends.

Stratton regrouped to go 19-14 up at 17 ends and managed to hang on for a 22-19 success and a place in the county national fours final.

The attention now switches from the fours to the triples competition which starts tomorrow.

  • WILTSHIRE men under the leadership of county president, Mike Hallam (Downton), were beaten in their opening county friendly match of the season.

They went down by 13 shots as they lost 127-114 to Sussex CBA in the match played at Arundel.

Their next game is away to Leicestershire today.

  • THE first Middleton Cup trial will be held at Westlecot on Saturday.

Westlecot, as Wiltshire men’s four rink league champions, have earned the right to face the county in a special game that will double up as an inter-county championship trial.

At the time of going to press both the Westlecot and Wiltshire sides are the same as previously published.

A second trial match is planned for the following weekend on Sunday, May 29 versus Hampshire at Atherley (Southampton) and will be selected immediately following the Westlecot trial.

  • WILTSHIRE Under 25s face Gloucestershire on Sunday at Barnwood (10.30am) in the opening round of the County Under 25 Two Fours Championship for the White Rose Trophy.

All of the players chosen were members of the Wiltshire side that thumped Somerset 89-62 in an Under 25 trial at Amesbury at the beginning of the month.

Six of the eight players named by the selectors are from local clubs with Westlecot supplying three representatives, Wootton Bassett two and Highworth one.