A DISAPPOINTING 2018 campaign for Wiltshire men in the Middleton Cup draws to a close on Saturday when they entertain Gloucestershire at home at Royal Wootton Bassett in their final group match.

The Moonrakers lost their opening group game to Devon away 128-105, a result that realistically ended their hopes of success this season in the inter-club championship.

They beat Worcestershire in their second game 128-119 but still only lie third in the table.

The best Wiltshire can hope for is a home win over Gloucestershire and to take second spot in the group.

County selectors have made changes for the Gloucestershire game on rink two.

Westlecot’s James Richman continues to lead, with Holt’s Wayne Snook moving up to two from three and Tony Keating reverting back to the reserves bench again.

Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton), who skipped the rink, moves up to three, with Ben Gadd (Holt), who was not available for the previous match, returning to skip the rink again.

  • COUNTY men’s championships in the national pairs has reached the semi-final stage after the quarter-finals were staged at Chippenham Town last week.

Wayne Simmonds and Wayne Snook (Holt) beat Alistair Hoadley and Andy Coles (Chippenham Town) 25-8, while Royal Wotton Bassett’s Neil Smith and Mel Biggs beat Dave Alford and Neil Yeoman (Broughton Gifford) 20-16.

In the other two quarter-finals, there were wins for two more Wootton Bassett pairings of James Nobbs and Anthony Sprules, 23-18 over Salisbury, and Dave Godwin and Steve Snell, 25-5 against Chippenham Town’s Rob Clews and Neil Connor.

The semi-finals will be played at Devizes on Sunday July 22.

  • THE county men’s singles competition is warming up, with the third round and fourth rounds in the four sections due to be completed by Monday.

This will produce the last 16, which will be played at Westlecot and Holt on July 13.

The singles quarter-finals are scheduled for Wootton Bassett on July 16.