NORTH WILTS men and ladies sides completed an excellent double over Thornbury in national team competitions but missed out the following day in the mixed Top Club event.

The ladies side, who won the Yetton Trophy national title in the spring of 2008, made a fine start in their quest to match that success this season with an 80-43 win over Thornbury, while the men were 64-53 winners against the south Gloucestershire side in the Denny Plate on Saturday.

However, North Wilts were second best on Sunday morning at home in the mixed Top Club competition to local rivals Clarrie Dunbar, last year’s beaten semi-finalists in the other mixed tournament, the Egham Trophy.

After a first-round bye North Wilts ladies followed it up with a very strong second round Yetton Trophy performance recording a comprehensive 37-shot success over Thornbury as they ran out 80-43 winners.

North Wilts took the honours on all four rinks with the away foursome of Carol Massey, Karen Funnell, Irene Button and skip Sue Cooke recording the highest winning margin of 21 shots.

In the third round on Saturday, November 19, North Wilts ladies have been drawn against Gloucester side MidGlos (Brockworth) with two rinks at home at Westcroft and two away at Brockworth.

North Wilts men missed out a fortnight ago in the main Denny Cup, inter-club championship when losing to Christie Miller in the opening round.

However, last Saturday they gratefully accepted their second chance in the competition with both hands in the Denny Plate with a win.

In the Plate first round they beat Thornbury by 11 shots in a hard-fought 64-53 victory, taking the spoils on three of the four rinks with Maurice Byron’s rink leading the victory charge with an eight shots success.

In round two in section C of the Denny Plate North Wilts face a tough task as they meet Somerset side Clevedon on Saturday, November 19 (10am) - two rinks home and two away.

But North Wilts hopes of success this season in a mixed team competition were halved last Sunday at home at Westcroft when they were eliminated from the Top Club event by local rivals Clarrie Dunbar.

They lost on three of the disciplines - mixed pairs, mixed triples and mixed fours - their only success came with a share of the honours in the two wood singles when Andy Bradfield won the men’s section.

North Wilts hopes of joy in a national mixed competition now lie with the Egham Trophy side who meet MidGlos (Brockworth, Gloucester) this coming Sunday, November 13 (10am), two rinks home and two away.

RESULTS

North Wilts v Thornbury - Yetton Trophy Home - Rink 2: Margaret Cooke, Jan Toombs, Wendy Ivory & Fizz Mace beat J Hamer 19-13. Rink 3: Molly Manning, Barbara Shepheard, Viv Baskerville & Jean Collier beat Val Osmond 13-11.

Away - Rink 4: Ann Roberts-Phare, Jane Taylor, Janet Hardie & Alex Jacobs beat Cynthia Winter-Alsop 21-13. Rink 5: Carol Massey, Karen Funnell, Irene Button & Sue Cooke beat Susan Latham 27-6.

Score: North Wilts beat Thornbury 80-43.

North Wilts v Thornbury - Denny Plate Home - Rink 4: Gerry Tinson, Eddie Haslop, Roger Button & Rich Gainey beat Colin Luton 16-14. Rink 5: Richard McComb, Dave Edmonds, Richard Jennings & Keith Hutchens lost to S Hunt 12-16.

Away - Rink 2: Andy Bradfield, Miles Pickering, Alan Stell & Maurice Byron beat A Iles 22-14. Rink 3: Gordon Scott, Ian Bristow, Barry Freeman & Trevor Cooke beat T Mangan 14-9.

Score: North Wilts beat Thornbury 64-53.

North Wilts v Clarrie Dunbar (at home) - Top Club Two Wood Singles - Ladies: Jean Collier lost to Jeanette Wheeler 11-15 (0pts). Men: Andy Bradfield beat John Freemen 14-6 (2pts). Mixed Pairs: Alan Stell & Alex Jacobs lost to Marcia Hartley & Neil Collett 17-20 (0pts). Mixed Triples: Bob George, Roger Button & Sue Cooke lost to Andy Colebrooke 8-15 (0pts). Mixed Fours: Irene Button, Jane Taylor, Maurice Byron & Dave Williams lost to Russ Francis 8-22 (0pts).

Score: North Wilts lost to Clarrie Dunbar 2pts-14pts.

NORTH Wilts representative Alex Jacobs, who has reached the latter stages on several occasions, has made a fine start in the 2016/17 ladies champion of champions competition.

She has won her opening two matches comfortably in the new Area 16.

In her first match Jacobs defeated Stroud’s Val Webb (Cotswold) 21-7 and followed it up in the next round with a 21-5 victory over her old rival Sue Latham (Thornbury).

Jacobs is through to the Area 16 semi-final and will face Somerset player Stefanie Branfield (Clevedon) on a date and at a venue to be confirmed.