WILTSHIRE bowlers have made a quiet start to the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa.

Royal Wootton Bassett father and son partnership of Gary and Craig Morphet failed in their bid to add another family pairs title to the one they lifted two years ago in 2016.

They went out in the quarter-finals (last eight) to locals Mark and Andy Smith (Avenue BC Leamington) 23-12, who went on to win the family pairs title beating Adam and Jamie Barker (Cambridgeshire) 23-18.

That is the only mixed competition held so far as the opening two weeks are primarily devoted to the women’s championship events.

In those, Royal Wootton Bassett’s Katy Smith lost in the opening round of the junior (U25) singles 21-10 to Jasmine Wilson while her elder sister Lucy won her first match 21-16 with Elaise Collins (Long Eaton, Derbys) but lost narrowly in round two 21-20 on the last end to Courtney Harvey (Gerrards Cross) Bucks.

In the senior (O55s) pairs Box duo Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs were surprisingly beaten 17-16 by Carol Templeman and Linda Stanley (Eastbourne, Sussex). Last year Cooke and Jacobs were losing finalists in the ladies pairs championship and are back again later this month representing Wiltshire.

However, Box did have some joy in the preliminary round of the fours.

The foursome of Carol Grenfell, Kathryn Yeoman, Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs beat Dukeries, Notts led by Ann Redford 26-15. But Supermarine crashed out losing 22-14 to Kings (Torquay, Devon) skipped by England international Natalie Chestney.

On Tuesday morning Box, led by Jacobs, thrashed Ingatestone, Essex, 26-9 to set-up a second round tie with Parkway, Huntingdon.

Ladies four wood singles, ladies champion of champions and two wood singles are due to be contested later in the week as is the men’s senior (o55) fours featuring a foursome from Royal Wootton Bassett skipped by Dave Snell.