THIS weekend sees the staging of the quarter-finals and semi-finals in both the Wiltshire ladies national two wood singles and national triples championship events.

Box was due to host the two wood singles competition on Friday evening while the triples quarter and semi-finals will be played 24 hours later on Saturday, June 14 at Salisbury.

In both championship events - two wood singles and triples - the two players or teams left standing after the semi-finals book a place in the county women’s national championship finals at Westlecot on July 26 and also qualify to represent Wiltshire at the national championships at the beginning of August at Royal Leamington Spa, the new headquarters of Bowls England.

The last 16 in the county ladies national triples were played at various venues around the county on Monday evening.

Four combinations in the northern section and four in the south all battled their way through to Saturday’s county triples quarter-finals and semi-finals at Salisbury (10.15am).

In the north trios from Stratton Churchway, Swindon, Wootton Bassett and Pewsey Vale as well as one triple from both Salisbury and Box plus two from Spencer Melksham were successful.

The semi-final winners will book a place in the county finals at Westlecot in mid-July as well as the right to represent Wiltshire at the nationals at Bowls England headquarters at Royal Leamington Spa.

DRAW

Quarter-finals (at Salisbury): Maureen Rogers, Charlie Harding & Doris Woodley (Wootton Bassett) v June Clarke, Anne Wilson & Alison White (Swindon); Wendy Anderson, Ellen Bolland & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) v Beryl Smith, Caroline Sprott & Trish Jarrett (Pewsey Vale); Sandy Hall, Nancy Oliver & Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) v Sheila Bird, Jane Edwards & Cristabel Francis (Spencer Melksham); Debbie Shadwell, Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (Box) v Jenny Couch, Marilyn Jay & Delia Godwin (S Melksham).

Semi-finals: to be played Saturday afternoon.

THE LADIES National Two Wood Singles Championship took centre stage last Saturday.

An initial entry of 81players was scheduled to contest the opening rounds at both Pewsey and Devizes.

Pewsey Bowls Club was the venue for the Northern Section in the ladies county national two wood singles championship.

And from an entry of 40 players the trio of Babs Salter (Wroughton), Wootton Bassett duo Charlie Harding and Lucy Smith plus Di Acheson (Pewsey), who certainly made home green knowledge pay, all survived and qualified for the quarter-finals and semi-finals at Box, this Friday, Friday June 13 (5.45pm).

The two greens at Devizes were used for the Southern Section in the ladies two wood singles.

A total of 41 ladies entered the event and after a hard fought competition four players - Sue Cooke (Box), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Marcia Hartley (Avon) and Eileen Hawker (Spencer Melksham) all qualified for the quarter and semi-finals on Friday.

DRAW

Quarter-finals (at Box): Sue Cooke (Box) v Di Acheson (Pewsey); Eileen Hawker (Spencer Melksham) v Lucy Smith (Wootton Bassett); Babs Salter (Wroughton) v Marcia Hartley (Avon); Charlie Harding (WB) v Margaret Annetts (Salisbury).

THE COUNTY ladies side to represent Wiltshire in the second west group match in the Johns Trophy has not been selected yet.

It is not expected to be chosen for the inter-county match against Gloucestershire at Devizes on Saturday June 21 until after this week’s scheduled South West Counties match against Somerset at Amesbury.

After being thrashed two weeks ago 130-101 by Cornwall, only winning on one rink and only collecting two points out of the 22 on offer several changes in the line-up are expected.

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