THE FIRST Wiltshire players to qualify for the 2013 Ladies National Championships to be staged at Royal Leamington Spa in late July will be known this coming weekend.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals of the county ladies national fours will be held at Purton on Saturday (10.30am) with the last two quartets left standing automatically qualifying to represent Wiltshire at Leamington.

Forty-four combinations entered the Wiltshire fours championship event this year and on Monday evening four quartets from both the north and south of the county battled their way successfully through the weather and third round to reach the last eight at Purton at the weekend.

They were: South - Jo Dunford (Warminster), Pat Sharp (Amesbury), Maureen Woolley (Alderbury) and Joan Coleman (Amesbury).

North - Pat Edmonds (Wootton Bassett), Babs Salter (Wroughton), Mavis Morris (Stratton Churchway) and Alison Fail (Purton).

LAST 16 RESULTS South: Marguerite Alexander (Devizes) lost to Jo Dunford (Warminster); Sheila Garlick (Devies) lost to Maureen Woolley (Alderbury); Pat Sharp (Amesbury) beat Debbie Shadwell (Spencer Moulton); Joan Coleman (Amesbury) beat Marcia Cottle (Spencer Melksham).

North: Sue Baker (Cricklade) lost to Pat Edmonds (Wootton Bassett); Josie Lloyd (Westlecot) lost to Babs Salter (Wroughton); Mavis Morris (Stratton Churchway) beat Mary Pribyl (Wanborough); Barbara Land (Chippenham Town) lost to Alison Fail (Purton).

DRAW Quarter-finals (10.30am): Pat Sharp (Amesbury) v Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones, Alison Fail & Carole Holland (Purton); Maureen Woolley (Alderbury) v Jo Dunford (Warminster); Babs Salter (Wroughton) v Joan Coleman (Amesbury); Ginny Nash, Maureen Rogers, Barbara Twine & Pat Edmonds (WB) v Mavis Morris (Stratton C).

WILTSHIRE men’s Middleton Cup trial will be held this coming Sunday morning at Wootton Bassett (10am).

Thirty two players have been invited by team manager Dave Snell and his fellow selectors to take part including three from Chippenham Town, Dave Godwin, Paul Macdonald and Billy McCay, and seven from Wootton Bassett - Neil Smith, Stephen Snell, James Nobbs, Kyle Anderson, Tom Walkley, Chris Chsley and Gary Morphet.

WILTSHIRE ladies drew against Cornwall at Topsham (Exeter) in their opening South Western Counties match of the season 84-84.

MORE SPORTS NEWS & PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES