WILTSHIRE men ended their disappointing 2018 Middleton Cup campaign on a high with a 10-shot home victory over Gloucestershire at Royal Wootton Bassett last Saturday.

The start time was brought forward with the fully agreement of both teams to midday so as the players could watch England’s World Cup football quarter-final against Sweden.

Wiltshire made a fine start and led across the board 37-23 after five ends and still led by 14 shots at 10 ends 69-55.

Only two more ends were played and with the score reading 78-68 a halt was called with Wiltshire still ahead.

Rink honours at the time were 3-3 so the match was declared as a16 points to 6 points win to Wiltshire.

This result moved Wiltshire men up into second place in the West A group table but 22 points adrift of Devon who take the accolades and move onto the west regional final and quarter-finals once again.

Gloucestershire who lost to Wiltshire in the ends reduced match finished third in the table on 28 points. Worcestershire who lost to Devon 83-142 ended with the wooden spoon on 10 points.

RESULTS

Rink 1: James Richman (Westlecot), Wayne Snook (Holt), Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) & Ben Gadd (Holt) beat Matt Cuthbert 18-6. Rink 2: Phil Gregory (Royal Wootton Bassett), Tom Warner (Salisbury), Graham Hatherall & Neil Collett (both RWB) beat Keith Minozz 17-11.

Rink 3: Gary Jackson (West), Chris Cheesley, Gary Morphet & Mel Biggs (all RWB) beat Steve Knight 21-7. Rink 4: Paul Kistle, Mike Jackson (both West), Dave Godwin (RWB) & Russell Francis (S Moulton) lost to S Hodges 8-13. Rink 5: James Nobbs (RWB), Ian Jefferies, Mike Titcombe (both West) & Neil Smith (player/manager, RWB) lost to Ian Smallwood 9-14. Rink 6: Andy Blake (RWB), Nick Revell (Salisbury), Kyle Anderson & Steve Snook (both RWB) lost to Nathan Kitchen 5-17.

Score: Wiltshire beat Gloucestershire 78-68 and by 16pts to 6pts.

THE Wiltshire men’s national singles was played down to the last 16 around various venues in the county on Monday evening.

The 16 players left standing are all hoping to keep their hopes alive at Westlecot and Holt this Friday evening to reach the quarter-finals that will be staged at Bassett next Monday (July 16).

Last year’s winner Ben Gadd (Holt) who beat Mike Titcombe 21-15 to take the title did not enter this season to defend his crown.

Only four previous winners are left in the competition - Dave Godwin (Royal Wootton Bassett) winner in 2016, Amesbury’s Mickey Tyler, the victor in 1999 as well as the two previous winners to that Bassett duo Graham Hatherall (1998) and Neil Smith (1997).

Royal Wootton Bassett representatives dominate the field at Westlecot and Holt with half of the 16 qualifiers.

Spencer Moulton are next best with two qualifiers Russell Francis and Adam Bolwell while six separate clubs supply the last six players Holt, Chippenham Town, Avon, Swindon Town Gardens, Salisbury and Amesbury.

DRAW

Matches 1-4 at Westlecot , 5-8 at Holt on Friday July 13 at 6.30pm: 1 Craig Hatherall (RWB) v Adam Bolwell (Spencer Moulton); 2 Russell Francis (SM) v Tom Pittuck (Town Gardens); 3 Craig Morphet (RWB) v Neil Smith (RWB); 4 Nick Revell (Salisbury) v Dave Godwin (RWB).

5 Wayne Snook (Holt) v Mickey Tyler (Amesbury); 6 John Williamson (RWB) v Jeremy Haselton; 7 Graham Hatherall (RWB) v Tom Walkley (RWB); 8 James Nobbs (RWB) v Tom Newman (Avon).

THE U25 men’s junior singles and pairs competitions have reached the last four.

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

DRAW

Singles: Mike Titcombe (Westlecot) v Craig Morphet (Royal Wootton Bassett); Tom Newman (Avon) v Craig Hatherall (RWB). Pairs: Jamie Shadwell & Adam Bolwell (Spencer Moulton) v Phil Gegory & Craig Hatherall (RWB); James Richman & Nathan Richards (Westlecot) v Jordan Moody & James Vincent (Salisbury).