DEVIZES duo Rose Merritt and Sue Ochyra have booked a place in the ladies county pairs final and also earned the right to represent Wiltshire in the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa in early August.

This is the second ladies county final they have reached as a week earlier at Wilton together with Patricia Reeves they had qualified for the last two in the triples as well as a place at Leamington.

In the bottom half of the pairs quarter-finals staged at Holt last Saturday, Merritt and Ochyra were pushed all the way by Wanborough duo Jean Crepaz and Deanne Davis before edging home 17-16 on the last end.

However, they had a much more comfortable success in the semi-finals defeating the Spencer Melksham combination of Eileen Hawker and Marilyn Jay 21-11 who had only reached the semis themselves with a last gasp 22-21 win over Box (Lolly Braddon and Carol Grenfell).

In the top half of the draw the Smith sisters Lucy and Katy, from Royal Wootton Bassett, were edged out in a tense last eight match by Karen Funnell and Jean Collier 21-20.

But in the semi-finals Funnell and Collier were outgunned by county ladies president Pat Jones and her partner from the Supermarine club Marilyn Kilburn 27-18.

In the quarters Kilburn and skip Jones had knocked out Highworth duo Joanna Richman and Linda Kingston by five shots 18-13.

Merritt and Ochyra will meet Kilburn and Jones in the pairs final on Saturday, July 30 at Supermarine, the home club of Jones the ladies county president for 2016.

PAIRS RESULTS

Quarter-finals (at Holt): Marilyn Kilburn & Pat Jones (Supermarine) beat Joanna Richman & Linda Kingston (Highworth) 18-13; Karen Funnell & Jean Collier (Box) beat Lucy & Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) 21-20; Eileen Hawker & Marilyn Jay (Spencer Melksham) beat Lolly Braddon & Carol Grenfell (Box) 22-21; Rose Merritt & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) beat Jean Crepaz & Deanne Davis (Wanborough) 17-16.

Semi-finals: Kilburn & Jones beat Funnell & Collier 27-18; Hawker & Jay lost to Merritt and Ochyra 11-21.

TWENTY-FOUR hours earlier two places at Royal Leamington Spa in the ladies national championships were also up for grabs as the quarter and semi-finals of the Wiltshire two wood singles were staged at Box.

From an entry of three players Alex Jacobs made home advantage pay however, reigning champion Jean Collier went out in the semis while Sue Cooke was edged out on the 21st and last end in the quarter-finals 16-15 by Joanna Richman (Highworth).

In the bottom half of the draw Jacobs had a comfortable run, winning her quarter-final 16-3 and semi-final 17-9.

The 2015 two wood champion Collier defeated Ginny Nash (Royal Wootton Bassett) 14-7 in the quarters but missed out on a place in the final and chance to defend her title when edged out on the last end 16-15 by former county president Ann Hindley (Wilton) 16-15.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals (at Box): Jean Collier (Box) beat Ginny Nash (Royal Wootton Bassett) 14-7; Irene Button (Chippenham Town) lost to Ann Hindley (Wilton) 10-15; Joanna Richman (Highworth) beat Sue Cook (Box) 16-15; Alex Jacobs (Box) beat Laura Latham (Swindon Town Gardens) 16-3.

Semi-finals: Collier (Box) lost to Hindley (Wilton) 15-16; Jacobs (Box) beat Richman (Highworth) 17-9.

REIGNING South West Counties champions Wiltshire lost their opening match of the 2016 campaign narrowly losing 117-11 to Cornwall but bounced back last week at Amesbury defeating Somerset 131-102.

They won on five of the six rinks to collect 20 points out of the 22 on offer and get their SWCL title defence back on track.

The only loss by five shots was on Margaret Annetts rink while four of the other games were tight however the winning margin was greatly bolstered by a brilliant 35-13 success for the rink skipped by Janet Willis.

RESULTS v Somerset (SWCL, skips only) Rink 1: Janet Willis (Stratton C) beat Jill Price 35-13; Rink 2: Carol Grenfell (Box) beat Joan Walmsley 21-19; Rink 3: Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) lost to Judith Staunton 16-21; Rink 4: Fizz Mace (N Wilts) beat Jenny Bell 18-15. Rink 5: Alex Jacobs (Box) beat Margaret Dyer 21-19; Rink 6: Sue Ochyra (Devizes) beat Elaine Amery 20-15.

Score: Wiltshire beat Somerset 131-102 and by 20pts to 2pts.

WILTSHIRE Ladies made a poor start to their inter-counties championship campaign this season in the Johns Trophy losing 133-105 away at Culm Vale to Devon and only winning on two rinks.

They will be looking to bounce back on Saturday at Devizes when they entertain Dorset in their second west group match (2pm).

The selectors make a host of positional switches as well as four player changes with re-calls for Alison Fail (Purton), Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett) and Laura Latham (Town Gardens) and hand a debut to Avon’s Georgina Newman.

THE FOLLOWING DAY (Sunday) Devizes also host Wiltshire’s first round Walker Cup match against Dorset (1.30pm).

Half of the players named for the inter-counties double rinks tie are from the highly successful ladies section at Box.

The quartet of Sue Cooke, Alex Jacobs, Jean Collier and Carol Grenfell are equally divided into the two rinks.

The entire Alex Jacobs’ rink chosen to face Dorset played last year against Gloucestershire in the Walker Trophy and won by nine shots as Wiltshire beat Gloucestershire 41-39.

TEAM v Dorset

Rink 1: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (both Box). Rink 2: Jean Collier (Box), Katy Smith (Royal Wootton Bassett), Linda Kingston (Highworth) & Carol Grenfell (Box).

Reserves: Deanne Davis (Wanborough), Georgina Newman (Avon) and Sue Ochyra (Devizes).