NORTH Wilts Ladies dominate the Wiltshire side named by the county selectors for the first round Atherley Trophy tie against Gloucestershire.

Fourteen out of the 24 ladies selected in theinter-county championship team on Sunday, November 16 (2pm) at North Wilts are members of the Chippenham-based club, with another five of the seven reserves also from North Wilts.

In recent seasons Wiltshire ladies do not have a very good record in the Atherley Trophy games against Gloucestershire, having lost to them in second round matches twice in the past seven seasons.

TEAM

Rink 1: Ann Roberts-Phare, Jane Taylor, Irene Button & Alex Jacobs (all North Wilts). Rink 2: Norma Rowden, Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke (all NW). Rink 3: Julia Hunt (Westlecot), Barbara Shepheard, Janet Hardie (both NW) & Wendy Anderson (West). Rink 4: Eileen Hawker (Christie Miller), Jan Tombs (NW), Bev Lilley & Sheila Garlick (both CM). Rink 5: Marian Menzies, Mary Buckle, Janice Bull & Joan Coleman (all Five Rivers). Rink 6: Linda Perfitt (West), Carol Massey, Brenda Bowen & Fizz Mace (all NW).

Reserves: May Brand, Isabel Dawson, Shirley Palfrey, Evelyn Tape, Ann White (all NW), Joyce Little (CM) and Jenny Vowles (West).

THE men at North Wilts fell at the first hurdle last Saturday in the Denny Cup, losing to Nailsea by ten shots.

The game was tight until the final run-in when North Wilts only scored seven shots, but conceded 15, to lose 76-66.

They led 18-13 across the board at five ends and 33-27 at ten. But North Wilts were then pegged back to trail Nailsea 50-49 at 15 ends and 61-59 at 18 before two counts of four shots dropped on the 20th and 21st ends away proved decisive.

Keith Hutchens' home rink won by four shots while, despite leading for the whole match away until the 21st end, Richard Gainey’s rink lost by two while away also Trevor Cooke lost narrowly 19-16.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 2: Richard Jennings, Bob Roberts-Phare, Alan Greenland & Keith Hutchens beat Debroy Gregory 23-19. Rink 3: R McComb, Gerry Tinson, Dave Williams & Roger Button lost to John Couch 13-22.

Away - Rink 1: Alan Stell, Peter Sanders, Clive Swift & Trevor Cooke lost to M Rowsell 16-19. Rink 3: G Scott, Jan Rodgers, Maurice Byron & Richard Gainet lost to B Holloway 14-16.

Score: North Wilts lost to Nailsea 66-76.

YETTON Trophy, the ladies equivalent to the Denny Cup sees North Wilts ladies back in action at the weekend in a second round tie.

Winners of the national inter-club championship competition in 2008, they won their opening round match this season with a hard fought 84-74 success over Thornbury and now meet neighbours Clarrie Dunbar on Saturday (10am) who dispatched a strong Clevedon side 85-62.

In other national team competitions the Mason Trophy side, O60s Ladies Double Rinks still await to learn who their opponents will be as Christie Miller and Clarrie Dunbar have not played yet.

Winners of the national trophy six years ago, the Westcroft-based Chippenham side North Wilts only took the honours on one of the four rink as they beat Thornbury by ten shots when running-out 84-74 victors.

Alex Jacob’s quartet turned-up trumps for North Wilts ladies side winning her match 32-15 but the other three losing rinks all kept their games extremely tight with the biggest loss only being three shots.

The match was very close throughout with North Wilts leading 27-18 across the board after five ends, 45-41 at ten and 59-56 at 15.

However, arch rivals Thornbury had edged in front 69-67 at 18, but back came North Wilts with a flourish on the run-in to the finishing line to score 17 shots and only concede five for a ten shot victory.

Janet Hardie's rink scored four shots on the last two ends and Fizz Maces's foursome collected three while Sue Cooke’s quartet traded single shots with their opponents.

But the telling contribution came from Alex Jacobs's rink who scored a three and a six on the last two ends to cement the overall victory.

North Wilts ladies will meet Clarrie Dunbar who beat Clevedon in round one 85-62 in the second round of the Yetton Trophy, two rinks home and two away on Saturday, November 8.

RESULTS

Home Rink 1: Margaret Cooke, Barbara Shepheard, Carole Massey & Janet Hardie lost to Val Osmond 19-20. Rink 2: VIv Baskerville, Isabel Dawson, Evelyn Tape & Fizz Mace lost to Ann White 14-17.

Away Rink 1: Ann Roberts-Phare, Jane Taylor, Irene Button & Alex Jacobs beat Cynthia Winter-Alsop 32-15. Rink 2: Norma Rowden, Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke lost to Sue Latham 19-22 (20 ends).

Score: North Wilts beat Thornbury 84-74.

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS later, North Wilts crashed out of the Egham Trophy, national inter-club mixed championship, losing heavily in round one to local rivals Clarrie Dunbar by 31 shots.

North Wilts made a slow start and trailed 26-11 across the board after five ends but rallied to cut the gap to only 34-31 after ten.

However Clarrie Dunbar pulled away again to leave North Wilts trailing 62-48 at 15 ends and increased their lead further to finally win 92-61.

Only the home rink skipped by Janet Hardie managed to record a victory for North Wilts when winning by nine shots while alongside Keith Hutchens’ foursome kept their match tight to only lose by three.

But it was away at Standerwick (near Frome) that North Wilts struggled badly with Richard Gainey’s rink losing by 22 shots and conceding two hotshots (eight shot maximums) on both the 3rd and 11th ends to Russell Francis’ rink while Trevor Cooke’s quartet went down by 15 shots.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 1: R McCombe, Irene Button, Clive Swift & Janet Hardie beat Jeanette Wheeler 24-15. Rink 2: Viv Baskerville, Jane Taylor, Alan Greenland & Keith Hutchens lost to Keith Bailey 14-17.

Away - Rink 1: Norma Rowden, Jean Collier, Roger Button & Richard Gainey lost to Russell Francis 11-33. Rink 2: Alan Stell, Barbara Shepheard, Fizz Mace & Trevor Cooke lost to Andy Colebrooke 12-27.

Score: North Wilts lost to Clarrie Dunbar 61-92.

THE MEN’S teams at North Wilts enter the fray in national inter-club knock-out competitions over the next week.

They kick-off their campaign with a first round match against Nailsea in the Denny Cup, two rinks home and two away, on Saturday, November 1, while the two senior men’s teams have to play their Over 60s Double Rinks games by November 7.

The North Wilts men’s A have been drawn against Melksham neighbours Christie Miller in round two with the B team due to meet Clarrie Dunbar A side. All the teams enjoyed first round byes.

Two North Wilts players, John Williamson and Dave Williams, have been named in the Wiltshire men’s side to play away against Hampshire in the opening round of the Liberty Trophy, inter-county championship at Palmerston Indoor Bowls Club, Fareham, Hants on Saturday, November 22 (10am).

Alan Greenland is named as one of the four reserves to attend.