ALEX Jacobs has booked a place this season in the 2015/16 national indoor championship finals.

She claimed a spot in the last 16 of the ladies champion of champions competition at Warner Leisure, Hayling Island, on the weekend of January 29-31 next year with victory in the inter-area final staged on the neutral green at Clarrie Dunbar, near Frome, last Saturday.

After a 21-10 away win over Ros Constant (Bristol), the Area 30 champion clinched her place at Hayling Island with a fine 21-9 win over Area 29 winner Maureen Hordle (Isle of Wedmore) in the inter-final.

Jacobs was 5-1 down early on against Hordle but soon drew level and then just pulled away to a very comfortable victory.

At Hayling Island, Jacobs has been drawn in the first round (last 16) on the Friday evening (8pm) against the inter area final winner of areas 7 and 8 between Christine Young (Newark, Notts) and Barbara Lewis (Barwell, Leics) which has still to be played with the victor moving forward to Saturday’s quarter-finals.

NORTH WILTS ladies march on in the Vivienne Trophy to keep alive the club’s hopes of success this season on three fronts in ladies national team competitions.

Previous winners in 2008, they had already booked a place in round four (last 32) of the Yetton Trophy and a meeting on January 16 with Taunton Deane - two rinks home and two away - as well as a third round tie in the Mason Trophy, over 60s ladies double rinks against Thornbury on Friday December 18.

Now the Westcroft, Chippenham-based ladies side have qualified for a third round tie in the Vivienne Trophy - two triples home and two away - against Torbay, on Thursday, January 21 next year.

They booked the third round date (last 16) with a comfortable 24 shots win over Bristol, in their second round game last Thursday, as they ran out 80-56 victors taking the honours in all four triples games.

Overall North Wilts were in command from the start going 28-17 up at five ends, 46-32 at ten, 69-52 at 15 and finally won 80-56 at 18 ends.

Last season, North Wilts ladies reached the Vivienne quarter-finals before losing narrowly to Dolphin (Poole) by five shots, this time around they will be looking to improve on that performance.

The ladies Yetton Trophy, Vivienne Trophy and Mason Trophy are the only national team competitions in which North Wilts still hold an active interest as the men and mixed teams are out of all of their competitions.

RESULTS

Home - Rink 2: Marilyn Mayhead, Janet Williams & Eirona Carpenter beat L Lamb 20-11. Rink 3: June Coyle, Pam West & Brenda Bowen beat L Paget 19-12. Away - Rink 1: Pat Edmonds, Lyn Brown & Rosemary Fitzpatrick beat M Ford 22-17. Rink 2: Fay Allen, Beryl Waters & June Northam beat S Parker 19-16.

Score: North Wilts beat Bristol 80-56.

THE men at North Wilts are still seeking a first win in this season’s central section of the Wessex League.

In their latest group match they went down 89-56 to local rivals Clarrie Dunbar to stay rooted to the foot of the central region table.

North Wilts were 45-25 down across the board at 10 ends but only 12 shots down at 57-45 after 15 ends. Also they led on two rinks, were drawing on another and only losing on one, albeit heavily.

But then the wheels came off as Clarrie Dunbar turned the screw over the final six ends for an 89-56 victory and wins on all four rinks.

The rink of Alan Stell, Miles Pickering, Gerry Tinson and Dave Williams led 15-11 at 19 ends but then dropped a single and a six! on the last end to see their hopes of a win disappear dramatically.

North Wilts next central region Wessex League group game is a local derby versus Christie Miller on Sunday, January 3 (10am).

RESULTS

Home - Rink 2: Martin Clark, Alan Greenland, Roger Button & Richard Gainey lost to Barry Barry 12-19. Rink 5: Alan Stell, Miles Pickering, Gerry Tinson & Dave Williams lost to Keith Bailey 15-18.

Away - Rink 3: Trevor Cooke, Peter Sanders, Bob Hayes & Alan Small lost to Andy Colebrooke 13-22. Rink 4: Dave Edmonds, Clive Swift, Ashley Ponting & Maurice Byron lost to Terry Perkins 16-30.

Score: North Wilts lost to Clarrie Dunbar 56 (0pts) - 89 (16pts).

WILTSHIRE men lost both of their latest county friendly matches under the stewardship of president Bob Robert-Phare (North Wilts).

In the home match at Westlecot they led Berkshire 23-14 at five ends, 46-39 at ten and 80-65 at 15 but then the wheels fell off as they only scored another 18 shots but conceded 41 to slump to a 106-98 defeat.

And in their friendly match in Melksham the county had to give second best to the Millermen trailing all the way to go down to a 94-74 defeat.

Wiltshire’s only winning rink in four was the one skipped by president Roberts-Phare who enjoyed a 29-17 success in the presidential battle with his Christie Miller counterpart Steve Hocking.

RESULTS (skips only)

v Berkshire (at Westlecot)

Rink 1: Martin Salter beat A Greenaway 28-12. Rink 2: Miles Pickering lost to B Williams 19-28. Rink 3: Bob Roberts-Phare lost to E Orme 19-21. Rink 4: John Southern lost to T Davis 14-25. Rink 5: Ashley Ponting lost to A Brown 18-20.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Berkshire 98-106.

v Christie Miller (at Melksham)

Rink 1: Alan Small lost to Bob Pratt 11-28. Rink 2: M Pickering drew with Colin Easton 18-18. Rink 3: B Roberts-Phare beat Steve Hocking 29-17. Rink 4: Maurice Byron lost to Brian Godwin 16-31.

Score: Wiltshire Men lost to Christie Miller 74-94.