NORTH Wilts ladies had to fight tooth and nail to maintain their interest in the top ladies indoor team championship event, the Yetton Trophy, before shaking off MidGlos (Brockworth, Gloucester) 68-59.

The 2008 winners eventually took the honours on three of the four rinks, two home and one away. Jean Collier’s four winning by 11 shots, while Sue Cooke’s rink came from behind to score an eight-shot win and a last-gasp effort saw Fizz Mace’s quartet edge home by a shot.

The only loss came on Alex Jacobs rink, who went down by 11.

In the fourth round of the Yetton Trophy on December 10 North Wilts ladies will face either local rivals Clarrie Dunbar or Clevedon who have yet to play. There game was put back a week by the EIBA.

RESULTS

North Wilts v MidGlos - Yetton Trophy Home - Rink 1: Molly Manning, Barbara Shepheard, Viv Baskerville & Jean Collier beat M McColl 23-12. Rink 2: Margaret Cooke, Jan Toombs, Wendy Ivory & Fizz Mace beat Pauline Gunn 15-14.

Away - Rink 3: Carol Massey, Karen Funnell, Irene Button & Sue Cooke beat Myra Savage 18-10. Rink 4: Ann Roberts-Phare, Jane Taylor, Janet Hardie & Alex Jacobs lost to M Stalley 12-23.

Score: North Wilts beat MidGlos 68-59.

NORTH Wilts ladies are also still running in the other two women’s indoor team competitions, Vivienne Trophy and Mason Trophy and will face MidGlos in the former on December 1.

In the ladies Over 60s double rinks (Mason Trophy), two North Wilts remain involved, the B side again locking horns with MidGlos on Friday (10am), while the A side face Nailsea A in round two on December 9.

NORTH Wilts representative Alex Jacobs, who has reached the latter stages of the Champion of Champions competition several times, has made a fine start in the 2016/17 version and reached the Area 16 final.

After two early victories she then defeated England international Stefanie Branfield (Clevedon) 21-18 at Bristol City and County IBC and will now meet Pauline Dando (Purnell IBC, Paulton) who beat Marcia Hartley (Clarrie Dunbar) 21-13 in her semi-final in the Area 16 final on Sunday, December 4 (2pm) at Clarrie Dunbar.

This is just one step away from a last 16 place in the final stages of the Champion of Champions at Hayling Island on the weekend of February 3-5 next year.

Jacobs also came successfully through the Senior England Ladies regional international trial held at Taunton Deane last week and has now been selected to take part in the final Senior England international ladies trial to be held at Northampton & District IBC on Saturday December 3 (1pm).