WESTLECOT will field almost their entire 2011 Four Rink League play-off championship-winning team for the traditional Middleton Cup trial against Wiltshire men.

They make just two changes to the side that beat Wootton Bassett 73-68 in the final at Devizes last September.

Mark Dyer, twice a national winner, has moved permanently to Spain while Phil Reade has only just returned from holiday. Replacing the duo are Michael Titcombe Jnr and Paul Stokes who has left Highworth for Westlecot this season.

The rinks skipped by Mel Biggs and Mike Jackson are unchanged but with the loss of skip Dyer, several positional changes are needed in the other two rinks.

Instead of the traditional cup trial being held on six greens at Westlecot, it will be played tomorrow at Wootton Bassett (10am) and only contested on four rinks.

New Wiltshire Middleton Cup team manager Dave Snell has chosen 16 players for his first match against Westlecot, but has been limited in his choice owing to holidays and unavailability.

The side he has named contains eight players from this area with seven of them from Wootton Bassett and one from Highworth.

  • WILTSHIRE men finally beat the weather and made a winning start to their 2012 outdoor season with victory over Hampshire.

After two false starts the under 25 side travelled to Cove (Farnborough) and recorded a comfortable 86-47.5 victory.

They took the honours on all four rinks once scores had been adjusted to account for Hampshire playing three triples.

The match was in preparation for Wiltshire’s 2012 South West Counties Under 25 League campaign and their bid for glory in this year’s National Under 25 Double Rinks for the White Rose Trophy.

The foundation for the away victory over Hampshire was built on the big 24 shots win recorded by the rink skipped by Paul Stokes.

Unless an extra match is arranged to compensate for the early season cancellation, Wiltshire under 25s’ next game is their opening South West Counties Under 25 League tie against Dorset at Blandford on Sunday, June 3.

  • WILTSHIRE ladies begin their 2012 campaign in earnest tomorrow with a six rink Johns Trophy trial at Amesbury (2pm).

A squad of 26 players has been chosen to face the county men’s South West Counties League squad.

The ladies team is drawn from a fair sprinkling of clubs around the Moonraker county, with seven players selected from local clubs.

Last Saturday the county ladies held an in-house Johns Trophy trial at Westlecot with 48 players taking part.

  • THE county ladies have named a very strong side for their first South West Counties League match of the 2012 season.

The team selected includes many players with Johns Trophy experience for the match with Cornwall next Tuesday at Topsham.