WILTSHIRE bowlers are poised for more glory at the national championships at Victoria Park, Leamington as the emphasis switches from the women’s events to the men’s championships.

Russell Francis, from the Spencer Moulton club in Bradford on Avon, a losing finalist last year to Glen Williams (Hertfordshire) in the champion of champions, has been enjoying a fine run in this year’s competition and is hoping to go one better.

Francis has reached the semi-finals stage after a 21-10 win in the last 16 over Somerset’s Luke Townsend followed by a quarter-final 21-15 victory over Mark Sykes (Banbury, Oxfordshire).

He is due to face Cornwall’s Andrew Broad in the semi-finals and if successful Glen Adams (Middx) or Jamie Walker (Northants) in the final.

Francis qualified for Leamington from the Dorset & Wilts section with six wins ending with a 21-10 semis win over Richard Young (Highworth) and a narrow 21-19 win in the final over Holt’s Ben Gadd.

Also enjoying a fine run at Leamington are the foursome of Kyle Anderson, Mike Snell, Dave Godwin and Steve Snell from Royal Wootton Bassett in the men’s four championship.

To date they have beaten Eastleigh Rail (Hants) 21-18 in round one and Greenhill (Weymouth, Dorset) 19-14 in round two. Then in the last 16 Hendon (Middlesex) 23-15 and Kensey Vale (Launceston, Cornwall)18-14 in the quarter-finals to book a place in the last four (semi-finals).

Bassett also had another representative in the fours championship but Gary Morphet’s quartet went out in round two on the last end 19-18 to Norfolk BC, (Norwich) following a first round 24-5 victory.

Last weekend the Bassett duo of Dave Snell and Mel Biggs missed out on a third men’s senior pairs title.

Champions in 2013 and 2015, they went out early this year losing 19-16 to the Essex partnership of Jim Wilson and Tim Mould.

Elsewhere in the men’s junior (U25) singles last weekend, Bassett’s Craig Morphet beat Jack Corney (Whittlesey Manor, Hunts) 21-13 but lost in round two 21-12 to Andrew Rodger (Blackheath /Greenwich, Kent). However, Avon’s Tom Newman clocked up a couple of wins.

He beat Keith Burton (Darlington Railway Athletic, Durham) 21-17) and Ajay Morphett (Spartan & Lakeside, Bexhill, Sussex) 21-16 but then ran into the eventual winner going down in round three 21-15 to Danny Mills (County Arts, Norwich, Norfolk).

Holt exited in the quarter-finals of the club two fours competition to the eventual winners Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

The latter part of this week sees the men’s triples championship featuring Bassett trio Craig and Graham Hatherall and Neil Collett plus Salisbury, skipped by Jamie Reynolds, being staged as well as one of the last women’s events – the senior fours with the Box foursome of Carol Grenfell, Jean Collier, Sue Cooke and Alex Jacobs taking part.

Bassett’s Mel Biggs competes over the weekend in the men’s senior singles.

Next week, the men’s pairs, two wood and four wood singles are staged.