WILTSHIRE’S hopes of further success at the national men’s and mixed championships at Worthing were dashed last week.

Following Wootton Bassett’s victory in the Over 55 pairs, their bowlers reached the quarter-finals in the fours, last 16 of the triples and Gary Morphet got through to the last eight in the champion of champions competition.

Meanwhile, the Wiltshire men’s junior team, the west regional champions, qualified for the semi-finals in the White Rose Trophy, national inter-county U25 men’s two fours competition.

The four of Kyle Anderson, Lawrence Smith, Tom Walkley and Dave Snell won three matches, but went down in the quarter-finals on the last end 20-19 to Sawston, (Cambs).

Last year’s triples finalists James Nobbs, Neil Smith and Gary Morphet won two matches this time before going out to Berkshire side Tilehurst (Reading), the eventual champions.

Morphet won his last 16 champion of champions singles match beating Lee Haywood (Shaldon, Devon) 21-20 on the last end but lost in the quarter-finals 21-12 to eventual finalist Duncan Heard (Woodbridge Hill, Surrey).

The U25 men’s side lost in the semi-final of the White Rose Trophy for the second time in three seasons.

They led Surrey across the board 14-3 after five ends and 21-11 at ten but were pegged back in the second-half of the match and eventually lost by seven shots going down 39-32.

Michael Richards’ rink led 8-2 and then 11-7 but was all square at 12-12 after 15 ends but just managed to win by one shot.

However, Tom Walkley’s rink despite leading 6-1 at five ends and 10-4 at ten was 15-10 down at 15 ends and eventually lost 23-15.

Snell goes in the two wood singles as the national championships draw to a close this weekend, They move to Bowls England’s new headquarters in Leamington Spa next year.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Gary Jackson, Craig Hatherall (both Westlecot), Wayne Snook : (Holt) & Michael Richards (W’lecot) beat Daniel Morris 17-16. Rink 2: Tom Warner (Amesbury), Paul Stokes (W’lecot), Nick Revell (Ames) and Tom Walkley (Wootton Bassett) lost to Matt White 15-23.

Score: Wiltshire lost to Surrey 32-39.

SPENCER MOULTON were triumphant in the annual Wiltshire fund-raising mixed gala in aid of Bowls Wiltshire Benevolent funds at Swindon Bowls Club (Shrivenham Road) last weekend and sponsored by Pearce Funeral Services.

In a tightly contested final they just edged home by two shots on aggregate after they were tied on five points each with Wiltshire Youth.

Moulton’s rink, skipped by England international Graham Shadwell, took the honours 14-8 in the fours, but Tom Pittuck’s Wiltshire Youth’s trio hit back in the triples for an 11-7 victory while the pairs match finished all square at 11-11. Wiltshire Youths collecting three shots on the last two ends to force a draw.

As two points were awarded for a discipline win and one for a draw both Spencer Moulton and Wiltshire Youths netted three points each and also shared the four points on offer to the side that won the most events.

With the two teams locked together 5-5 on points the number of shots scored in the three disciplines was used to determine a winner with Spencer Moulton edging home 32-30.

Wiltshire Youth topped Section A clinching their place in the final with an 8-2 (40-20) win over Purton after the two sides were tied on 16 pts each going into the third round decider.

Moulton had a far more comfortable ride to the final scoring 26 points out of a possible 30 in their three Section B round robin games.

They were only tested in their second match by Chippenham Town who finished as runners-up in the section. Spencer Moulton’s pairs team picking-up three shots on the last two ends for a 15-14 success to make sure Spencer won on two of the three disciplines to beat Chippenham Town for an 8pts-2 success.

Bob Hiles, Swindon Bowls Club men’s president presented the winners prize of £100 to Spencer Moulton on behalf of sponsors Pearce Funeral Services, Swindon, and the runners-up cheque for £50 to a very gallant Wiltshire Youth side.

RESULTS

Section A: 1 Wiltshire Youth 24pts, 2 Purton 18, 3 Blue Circle 13, 4 Box 5.

Section B: 1 Spencer Moulton 26pts, 2 Chippenham Town 20, 3 Swindon 9, 4 Devizes A 5.

FINAL (S Moulton names first) Mixed Pairs: Kim Smith & Andy Colebrook drew with Rachel Jones & Barry Pittuck 11-11.

Mixed Triples: Nicky Keefe, Gary Fippen & Russell Francis lost to Bethany and Kara Little & Tom Pittuck 7-11.

Mixed Fours: Marcia Hartley, Sheila Shadwell, Tim Wilkins & Graham Shadwell beat Georgina Newman, David Martin, Julie Jones & Dave Godwin 14-8.

Score: Spencer Moulton drew on points 5-5 with Wiltshire Youth but won 32-30 on shots.

THE county mixed gala at Amesbury was won by Wilton who beat the hosts in the final 7-3 (35-33).

CHIPPENHAM TOWN have qualified for the quarter-finals in the Wiltshire Men’s Four Rink League play-offs.

They clinched their place in the last eight by winning Area B of the competition by seven points from Westlecot.

This section has been dominated in recent years by Westlecot, Wootton Bassett and Chippenham Town with the latter being denied a top two place and a play-off place in 2011 and 2012 by shots difference and a point last year.

But this time around it is Bassett who miss-out as they only finished third 30 points adrift of Chippenham at the top of the table.

The first round draw for the play-offs has not been made yet.

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