NORTH WILTS saw their last hope of scooping a ladies national team championship title this season disappear in their rearranged Mason Trophy fifth-round tie.

They lost to their nemesis Thornbury in their ladies Over 60 double rink match going down 37-24.

North Wilts won on one rink at home at Westcroft, Chippenham but lost away in Thornbury heavily in the other.

The foursome of Margaret Cooke, Viv Baskerville, Irene Button and Jean Collier (skip) struggled throughout.

They were tied 3-3 at five ends but 7-4 down at 10 ends and never recovered finally losing 23-6.

At home in Chippenham, Alex Jacobs’ foursome which included Molly Manning, Jane Taylor and Sue Cooke led narrowly by a shot at five ends and 10 ends respectively 5-4 and 9-8 before finally winning 18-14.

Overall North Wilts led 8-7 at five ends but had fallen behind 13-15 at 10 and trailed from then on 21-28 and finally lost 24-37.

Thornbury move forward to the quarter finals and will face Plymouth A tomorrow (Friday).

National Championship places at Melton & District and Nottingham were finalised in Area 16 last week with one exception.

In the ladies section North Wilts' Jacobs’ postponed Over 60s singles area final match against Julie Morgan (Malvern Hills) has been rearranged for this Saturday, March 24 at Cotswold (Sroud) at 10am.

Meanwhile in the other outstanding age group match, Over 50 ladies triples, Clarrie Dunbar’s Teresa King, Sue Bird and Jeanette Wheeler thumped a trio from Thornbury led by Fran Stockford 24-9 to book a place at Nottingham from April 7-16.

In the men’s section in Area 16 Graham Shadwell (Clarrie Dunbar) completed a hat-trick of victories in inter area finals.

Together with club colleagues Russell Francis and Craig Hadfield-Doughty they beat a trio from St Andrews (WSM), Area 17 winners, of Lee and Sam Stocker led by Craig Walker 20-6.

This means Shadwell has won singles, pairs and triples inter-area finals to book a hat-trick of places at Melton & District from March 23-31.