BOWLS WILTSHIRE men’s annual tour this year was a highly successful past president’s trip to South Wales.

A total of four games were played over a long weekend with the touring party of 32 who were based in Neath (West Glamorgan) winning three matches and losing one.

The touring party consisted of seven former Wiltshire presidents, a Bowls England director, several county officials, and other players from around the county with 15 clubs represented in total.

On the opening day Wiltshire Tourists faced the local Neath side Brynhyfryd but owing to heavy rain in mid-afternoon and the green beginning to flood the game was prematurely halted after 12 ends.

However, the Moonrakers were leading on four rinks and deemed to be 78-45 victors with Keith Hutchens (17 shots), Tudor Lloyd (13), Dave Royle (seven) and Les Cox (five shots) skipping their rinks to success.

Day two in fine sunny weather Wiltshire recorded a narrow 102-96 victory at Port Talbot Ynys despite winning on four of the six rinks.

Dan Harvey and Royle’s rinks both won 23-9 and tied for top spot while skips Lloyd (12 shots) and Ian Francis (one shot) also recorded wins.

But in sharp contrast to day one Hutchens went from top rink to highest losing skip at Port Talbot going down 27-6.

The next day, Sunday, torrential rain washed out the scheduled outdoor match at BP Llandarcy but an alternative indoor game was arranged featuring the same players two miles down the road at Earlswood Indoor Bowls Centre.

Taking into account that most of the Llandarcy team play in the winter at Earlswood and several of the Moonrakers had not played indoors before or for several years and were using outdoor woods they did extremely well to tie the game 3-3 on rinks with Francis (nine shots), Ron Salsbury (five) and Hutchens (four shots) all leading their quartets to victory.

However, two rinks suffered very heavy defeats resulting in the Wiltshire Tourists losing overall 117-77.

Normal service was resumed on the final day of the tour at Yate on the way home where the Moonrakers registered a comprehensive 127-89 victory and won on five of the six rinks.

Les Cox’s quartet was the only rink to taste defeat at Yate but only went down by the narrow margin of one shot.

Top skip again was Hutchens (18 shots) while there were wins for skips Howard Pryse (ten), Francis (nine), Royle and Harvey (one shot each).

The win at Yate maintained Harvey’s unbeaten skip record together with Ron Salsbury albeit they only led a rink twice and once respectively during the tour. Top skips on the Welsh tour were Hutchens and Royle with three wins and one defeat each.

Next year Wiltshire men celebrate their centenary and the planned tour will be a president’s tour to Devon and based at Exmouth under the leadership of Dave Richards (Towbridge Westbourne) who will succeed Roy Jones (Trowbridge Town) as county men’s president.

Jones final task as the 2013 county men’s president, before handing over the chain of office, is to present the prizes to all of the county men’s championship and competition winners at the annual dinner and presentation evening at Melksham on Saturday, November 16.

The Past President’s West Glamorgan Welsh tour also raised the handsome sum of £600 for the county men’s benevolent fund.

2013 Wiltshire Tourists: Ken Bray (Avon), Les Cox (Swindon), Edward Crocker (guest), Dave Eaton (Shrivenham & WB), Malcolm Ellis (Marlborough), Ray Fernandes (S’don), Ian Francis, Roger Green, (both Spencer Moulton), Cliff Gumm (Winsley), Dan Harvey (Rodbourne Cheney), Victor Hilton (Wootton Bassett), Frank Hinchliffe (Westlecot), Keith Hutchens (Chippenham Park), Harry Langley, Tudor Lloyd (both S’don), John Northover (Chippenham T), Jack Peterson, Tom Phillips (both Supermarine), Howard Pryse (S’don), Brian Raymond (Chip T), Jim Richards (Amesbury), Dave Royle, Steve Rose (both RC), Ron Salsbury (W’lecot), Colin Sheppard (Ames), Frank Smith (Cricklade), John Snell (Alderbury), Eddie Wells (Cricklade), Barry and Ross Wheeler (S’don); Tony Watchman (Chip Park) and John Wilks (WB).

RESULTS

v Brynhyfryd (at Cimla Neath) Rink 1: Dave Royle beat G Evans 15-7; Rink 2: Tudor Lloyd beat R Williams 19-6; Rink 3: Les Cox beat K Hawes 10-5; Rink 4: Ian Francis lost to M Davies 9-10; Rink 5: Keith Hutchens beat R Evans 20-3; Rink 6: Howard Pryse lost to W Evans 5-14.

Score: Wiltshire beat Brynhyfryd 78-45 (12 ends only)

v Port Talbot Ynys (at Port Talbot) Rink 1: T Lloyd beat S Tossell 25-13; Rink 2: D Royle beat P Matthews 23-9; Rink 3: Dan Harvey beat J Morgan 23-9; Rink 4: K Hutchens lost to D Egan 6-27; Rink 5: I Francis beat K Egan 17-16; Rink 6: H Pryse lost to D Lewis 8-22.

Score: Wiltshire beat Port Talbot Ynys 102-96 (18 ends).

v BP Llandarcy (at Earlswood IBC, Swansea Bay Golf Club) Rink 1: D Royle lost to M Hopkins 11-19; Rink 2: T Lloyd lost to K Jones 11-29; Rink 3: Ron Salsbury beat J Nicholl 16-11; Rink 4: K Hutchens beat D Jenkins 15-11; Rink 5: I Francis beat P Rose 19-10; Rink 6: Ray Fernandes lost to T Hanford 5-37.

Score: Wiltshire lost to BP Llandarcy 77-117 (18 ends).

v Yate (at Yate) Rink 1: D Royle beat K Jones 18-17; Rink 2: I Francis beat D Bishop 23-14; Rink 3: H Pryse beat P Blackman 20-10; Rink 4: Dan Harvey beat D Warfield 25-24; Rink 5: L Cox lost to A Hazzard 15-16; Rink 6: K Hutchens beat J Appison 26-8.

Score: Wiltshire beat Yate lost to West Witney 127-89 (21 ends).

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