HOPES of success in a national inter-club team competition this season for North Wilts ladies took a heavy blow last week.

They had to give second best to Taunton Deane women’s section not once, but twice, within the space of five days.

After seeing their Mason Trophy Over 60 Double Rink hopes disappear at the hands of the Somerset side, when beaten 44-30 in the fourth round (last 32), North Wilts ladies lost to Taunton Deane again last Saturday.

They went down by 11 shots when losing 79-68 in the fourth round of the Yetton Trophy, top ladies inter-club championship.

Previous winners of the Yetton Trophy in 2008 North Wilts led Taunton for most of this last 32 match but faded on the run-in, only scoring seven shots and conceding 22 and only winning on one rink.

After five ends across the board North Wilts led 19-11 but were pegged back and were 35-30 down at ten.

They rallied to edge ahead and go 51-49 up at 15 ends and held a four shots advantage 61-57 after 18. However, the shots then dried up as Taunton made a big push to snatch a 79-68 success.

The foursome of Norma Rowden, Karen Funnell, Jean Collier and Sue Cooke were the only rink to taste success with a 24-11 win.

North Wilts last chance of success in a national team competition now rested with the Vivienne Trophy side who face Torbay today (Thursday) in a last 16 tie on the neutral green at Taunton Deane where all four triples games were being played from 1pm.

The team showed one change Margaret Cooke coming in for Pat Edmonds to the one that thumped Bristol 80-56 in the last round.

RESULTS

Yetton Trophy: North Wilts v Taunton Deane

Home - Rink 3: Ann White, Wendy Ivory, May Brand & Fizz Mace lost to Sue Evans 14-24. Rink 4: Jean Pascoe, Barbara Shepheard, Viv Baskerville & Irene Button lost to Ruth Jones 14-16.

Away - Rink 3: Ann Roberts-Phare, Kara Little, Jane Taylor & Alex Jacobs lost to Sue Cridland 16-28. Rink 2: Norma Rowden, Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke beat Di Routley 24-11.

Score: North Wilts lost to Taunton Deane 68-79.

TEAM Vivienne Trophy v Torbay at Taunton Deane today (1pm)

Rink 1: Marilyn Mayhead, Janet Williams & Eirona Carpenter. Rink 2: Margaret Cooke, Lyn Brown & Rosemary Fitzpatrick. Rink 3: June Coyle, Pam West & Brenda Bowen. Rink 4: Fay Allen, Beryl Waters & June Northam.

SUE Cooke has emulated North Wilts colleague Alex Jacobs feat and qualified for the final in all four of the ladies main indoor championship events, singles, pairs, triples and fours in Area 30.

She completed the full set when beating Ros Constant (Bristol) 21-18 in a closely fought area singles semi-final in Bristol last Sunday to set-up a clash with her doubles partner Jacobs at home next month at Westcroft.

Together with Jacobs, Cooke had already booked her place in the area doubles final away against Clevedon by February 7.

The duo plus Irene Button also face Clevedon’s Jacqui Branfield, Laura Holden and Stefanie Branfield away on Sunday, January 24 in the Area 30 triples final.

A day earlier, on the Saturday, Button, Cooke, Jacobs plus Jean Collier face Bristol at home at North Wilts in the Area 30 fours final.

A victory in any one four of these four championship events will take the winners through to the inter-area final against the Area 29 victors - just one step away from booking a place in the last 16 and final stages of the national championships in Melton & District (Leics) in early April.

The trio of lead Jean Collier, number two Sue Cooke and skip Alex Jacobs have already won an Area 30 title in the Over 50s Two Wood Triples competition last Sunday at home at North Wilts.

They beat Thornbury’s Fran Stockford, Maralyn Gozna and Val Osmond 13-10 in the area final to book their place in the inter-area final of the Over 50s Two Wood Triples against Area 29 winners Taunton Deane led by Di Routley at Clarrie Dunbar on Sunday, February 7 - just one step away from the final stages and last 16 at Nottingham from March 28-29.

The North Wilts trio led Thornbury 6-0 after five ends and appeared to be coasting as they led 11-2 after ten ends. But their opponents rallied to hit back and had cut the advantage to only 11-9 after 15 ends.

Collier, Cooke and Jacobs steadied the ship with two singles on ends 16 and 17 to seal a 13-10 victory at 18 ends.

In the men’s national championships and competitions North Wilts’ Dave Williams thrashed Craig Doughty (Clarrie Dunbar) 21-3 and will now face another Clarrie player, John Freeman, in the Area 30 singles semi-finals.

Elsewhere, North Wilts duo Bob George and Mal Curtis lost a tight Over 60s pairs semi-final 23-21 to Eric Seavill and his partner from Bristol.

Finally North Wilts quartet Bob George, Maurice Byrom, Dave Williams and Mal Curtis just missed-out in the final of the Area 30 Over 60s fours competition losing to Don Dart (Purnell) 20-18.

WILTSHIRE men have reached the quarter-finals in the inter-county championship for the Liberty Trophy.

They clinched their last-eight spot with a hard fought 121-119 victory over Hampshire last Saturday at Swindon Westlecot as the green at North Wilts was unavailable again owing to a Yetton Trophy game.

Wiltshire won on three of the six rinks with North Wilts’ Dave Williams, a late call-up off the reserves bench for the game, featuring along with Paul Kistle, Steve Remington and player/manager Neil Smith in one of the winning rinks with a 21-19 success.