CHIPPENHAM TOWN have won the Wiltshire men’s Four-Rink League play-offs final for the first time in 21 years, writes DAVE EATON.

They beat Holt by two shots running out as 78-76 winners at the Bowls Wiltshire finals at Devizes Bowls Club last weekend despite the rinks scores being shared 2-2.

Town had previously won the top county men’s league title 13 times since it was first introduced in 1920, but this was their first success for over two decades since 1997 although they were losing finalists in 2003 and 2008.

Holt had only ever won the title twice in recent years in 2012 and 2015 and had knocked out holders Royal Wootton Bassett in the delayed semi-final 89-80 under lights at Avon (Melksham) last Thursday.

The final between Chippenham Town, winners of the county southern section, and runners-up Holt was tight to halfway (10 ends) before Holt moved ahead but were then caught at the finish by a late Chippenham Town surge.

Holt led 20-18 overall after five ends but Town had edged four shots up at 10 to lead 39-35.

Holt grabbed the lead back to move 60-51 in front after 15 ends and still had a nine shots advantage at 70-61 at 18 ends.

But Chippenham Town finished with a flourish aided by a four on Neil Connor’s 19th end and a five on the 20th end on Steve Heseltine’s rink to grab a narrow but hard-fought win with 17 shots to six on the last three ends overall for a 78-76 win and lift the league play-offs title once more.

Connor and Heseltine’s rinks led the victory charge with both registering nine shot wins while Jeremy Haselton’s foursome went down by six shots and Willie Jones quartet by 10 shots.

RESULTS

Chippenham T v Holt - Four Rink play-off final (at Devizes)

Rink 1: Keith Fletcher, Jim Fitzpatrick, Dave Williams & Willie Jones lost to Gary Potton, Graham Archard, Wayne Simmond & Wayne Snook 17-27. Rink 2: Alan Stell, Rob Clews, Tino Riccio & Neil Connor beat Dane Rose, Chris Poole, Matt Tucker & Craig Hadfield-Doughty 21-12. Rink 3: Rich Ellis, Andy Bradfield, Richard Gainey & Jeremy Haselton lost to Malcolm Barker, Martin and Kevin Oliver & Ben Gadd 13-19. Rink 4: Kevin Ringham, Mike Travers, Andy Coles & Steve Heseltine beat Malc Clift, Howard Davis, Tony Keating & Justin Davis 27-18.

Score: Chippenham Town beat Holt 78-76.

Chippenham Town scooped another team title at the county finals.

They won the BW mixed double rinks, beating Avon (Melksham) 48-38 although rink honours were shared.

The foursome of Irene Button, Viv Baskervile, Richard Gainey and skip Jeremy Haselton were the Town heroes recording a 30-12 win (18 shots) over John Crowder’s Avon rink while Val Ringham, Rose Fitzpatrick, Rob Clews and Willie Jones only lost to Tom Newman’s four by eight shots (18-26) to give Chippenham a 10-shot overall success.

Across the board after a flying start Chippenham Town led throughout. They were 17-3 up after five ends, 36-10 at 10, 42-29 after 15 and 42-34 at 18 before closing out the match 48-38 after 21 ends.

RESULTS

Rink 3: Val Ringham, Rose Fitzpatrick, Rob Clews and Willie Jones lost to Colin Easton, Sylvia Crabbe, Marcia Hartley and Tom Newman 18-26. Rink 4: Irene Button, Viv Baskervile, Richard Gainey and Jeremy Haselton beat Georgina Newman, Emma Maslen, Danny Holland & John Crowder 30-12.

Score: Chippenham Town beat Avon 48-38.

Broughton Gifford stormed to victory over Pewsey Vale in the other men’s competition final, the Tourist Trophy.

After an early shock they blitzed Pewsey Vale 59-19 in the men’s double rink competition taking the honours in each match comfortably.

Gifford trailed 6-18 overall after five ends but had turned matters around fully by 10 ends to lead 27-16 and never looked back.

They just pulled away to a massive 59-19 victory when a halt was called.

RESULTS

Rink B1: Norman Hughes, Vince Davis, Kevin Holmes & Trevor Cooke beat Michael Munday, Dennis Hawkins, Richard Pearce & Vince Kimber 33-7 (18 ends only). Rink B2: Rodney Bourne, Barry Freeman, Dave Alford & Neil Yeoman beat Stephen Vallis, Andrew Batchelor, Keith Brew & Phil McRae 26-12 (15 ends only).

Score: Broughton Gifford beat Pewsey Vale 59-19.

Box Ladies dominance of the county ladies Top Ten competition continued as they won the event for the ninth consecutive season, beating Westlecot in the final.

The west Wiltshire club’s brilliant unbeaten run began in 2010 with a win ironically against Westlecot and was extended with another victory over the Old Town Swindon club 3-1.

Box won three of the four disciplines - pairs, triples and fours - but missed-out on a clean sweep and 4-0 victory as Jean Collier was beaten 21-20 in the singles losing out on the 28th and last end decider despite leading 9-4 at seven ends, 12-7 at 12, 16-13 at 20 and 20-18 at 26 ends.

Despite the narrow singles loss Box cruised to a 34-10 win in the pairs, courtesy of Karen Funnell and Alex Jacobs.

They took the fours discipline 17-12 on the last end decider closing out the match with a count of two to make the match score 2-1.

While a big count of five on the 16th of the 18 ends put them in pole position 17-12 in the triples after being tied 12-12 at 15 ends.

Box held on despite conceding two singles to win the triples 17-14 and seal the Top Club match against Westlecot 3-1 and extend their number of victories in a row to a magnificent total of nine.

RESULTS

Two Wood Singles: Jean Collier lost to Linda Perfitt 20-21. Pairs: Karen Funnell & Alex Jacobs beat Kay Webb & Carole Coombs 34-10. Triples: Lolly Braddon, Debbie Shadwell & Sue Cooke beat Ann Haunton, Lorraine Dickson & Lynda Whittingham 17-14. Fours: Carol Hudd, Jane Taylor, Carol Grenfell & Kathryn Yeoman beat Gwyneth Williams, Linda Farragher, Sheila Matthews & Jenny Vowles 17-12.

Score: Box beat Westlecot 3-1.

Box Ladies have also qualified for the last eight of the ladies national Top Club competition being staged at Bowls England Headquarters at Royal Leamington Spa this weekend.

They will track the same 10 ladies in the same disciplines at Leamington that won the Top Ten competition last weekend.

They will contest the quarter-finals on Saturday (1.30pm) with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Sunday at 9.30am and 1.30pm.

The draw will be made on Saturday in the presence of all eight clubs.

Quarter-finalists: Baldock Town (Herts), Borough Green (Sevenoaks, Kent), Box (Wilts), Broadway (Worcs), Kings (Torquay, Devon), Kingscroft (East Shilton, Leics), Norfolk BC (Norwich) and Sutton (Surrey).

Bassett led the way on finals weekend with three winners, although surprisingly none came in team events.

There was another Broughton Gifford success from Neil Yeoman in the men’s champion of champions competition on Sunday.

He came from 17-10 down after 16 ends to win five of the next six ends and beat Bassett’s Dave Godwin 21-19 and ruin Godwin’s hopes of a weekend treble.

Box's Alex Jacobs reigned supreme in the ladies champion of champions defeating Fizz Mace (North Wilts) 23-11 in the final.

Dave Godwin and Steve Snell, losing semi-finalists in the recent men’s national pairs championships at Leamington, had opened on Saturday morning with a last-end 17-16 victory in the delayed men’s county national pairs final against Holt duo Wayne Simmonds and Wayne Snook.

Godwin and Snell came from 13-7 down at 13 ends to wipe out the deficit and lead 17-14 at 19 and then hold on to win 17-16 at 21 ends.

Godwin then completed a double with a comfortable 21-4 win over Holt’s Snook in the men’s county national singles final. He only dropped four singles with the match only lasting 15 ends.

Box missed out on a third title when Sue Cooke and Jacobs’ great fightback in the county ladies national pairs final ended just one shot short losing 21-20 on the last end.

Cooke and Jacobs made a poor start and were 16-3 down at halfway (11 ends) but the duo cut the deficit to 16-14 at 14 ends only to then drop five shots and trail 21-14 at 18 ends.

Back they came again taking the last three ends but three counts of two left them agonisingly one shot short on 21-20 of forcing an extra end.

Bassett’s third victory at Devizes came in the men’s unbadged singles final. Lawrence Smith blitzed Robbie Ferguson (Wanborough) 21-7.

There was success for Emma Maslen (Avon) in the BW ladies unbadged singles. She beat Chippenham’s Val Kingham 17-13 in the semi-finals and then easily despatched Sue Fletcher (Wroughton) 15-8 in the final.

North Wilts and Spencer Melksham from this section of the county also enjoyed a single success.

The trio of Jenny Couch, Jayne Edwards and Peter Sanders won the BW officers triples blasting away Stratton Churchway 21-2 in the final.

And finally North Wilts trio of Janet Hardie, Susan Pitman and Ann Roberts-Phare cruised to the BW ladies county benevolent triples final with a crushing 27-5 victory over Purton. They had earlier beaten Alderbury 18-11 in the semi-finals.

Surprisingly Holt, usually among the men’s trophy winners, failed to lift one last weekend losing in three finals – men’s county national

singles and pairs and final of the men’s Four Rink League.