STRATTON CHURCHWAY cruised into the county ladies triples final at Devizes on July 25, but Wanborough just missed out on joining them after losing a last-end decider.

The trio of Lil Dalrymple, Wendy Anderson and Janet Willis outclassed Wilton to earn the right to represent Wiltshire at Royal Leamington Spa at the National Championships in the triples at the beginning of August along with Box who edged out Wanborough on the 18th and last end.

Both Stratton Churchway and Box booked their places in the county final last Saturday at Purton where the triples quarter-finals and semi-finals were staged.

In the morning quarter-finals, Stratton were involved in a close match, just overcoming the challenge of Wotton Bassett’s Ginny Nash, Barbara Twine and Pat Edmonds (skip) by four shots (19-15), while in the other match in the bottom half of the draw Wilton beat Devizes, skipped by Mary Jones 22-12.

In the top half, the Wanborough triple of Julia Hunt, Jean Crepaz and Deanne Davis knocked out Supermarine, led by Pat Jones, by nine shots 21-12, while Box, skipped by Carol Grenfell, accounted for another Devizes trio, skipped by Sue Ochyra 22-12.

The afternoon semi-finals were sharply contrasting matches as Stratton blitzed Wilton 22-6, while Box had to dig deep to overcome a battling Wanborough triple.

Churchway led Wilton 6-2 after five ends and continued to pile up the shots leading 13-3 at nine, 17-6 at 13 with a halt being called after 16 ends with Janet Willis’ trio holding a massive 22-6 lead.

The other semi-final saw Wanborough and Box locked together throughout in closely fought encounter.

Wanborough made the early running and led 6-4 after five ends but they then went behind before pegging the scoreline back to 8-8 after ten.

Box won three of the next four ends to edge 13-9 up after 14 ends but Wanborough rallied hitting back to tie the match at 13-13 at 17 and set-up a winner takes all last end decider.

However, Wanborough saw their hopes of a place in the triples final for the very first time disappear as the Box team, who had lost in the 2009 final, grabbed a count of two to snatch a last-gasp 15-13 victory.

Attention has now switched to the county ladies national pairs championship which got under way in earnest last Friday evening.

The second round in both the north and south sections were played on Monday with the last eight in both sections due to be decided last night (Friday) to produce the last eight for the quarter-finals which will be contested at Chippenham Town today (Saturday 10.15am).

The semi-finals are scheduled to be played this afternoon.

TRIPLES RESULTS

Quarter-finals: Karen Funnell, Jean Collier & Carol Grenfell (Box) beat Rose Merritt, Patricia Reeves & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) 22-12; Julia Hunt, Jean Crepaz & Deanne Davis (Wanborough) beat Marilyn Kilburn, Glenice Truman & Pat Jones (Supermarine) 21-12; Sue Gurd, Ann Hindley & Lesley Trattles (Wilton) beat Marie Greenwood, Josie Mulligan & Mary Jones (Dev) 22-12; Ginny Nash, Barbara Twine (sub for Maureen Rogers) & Pat Edmonds (Wootton Bassett) lost to Lil Dalrymple, Wendy Anderson & Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) 15-19.

Semi-finals: Grenfell (Box) beat Davis (Wanborough) 15-13; Trattles (Wilton) lost to Willis (Stratton Churchway) 6-22.

THE county ladies side to represent Wiltshire in their second west group match in the Johns Trophy on Saturday, June 20 at West Moors BC against Dorset has been announced.

It shows three changes for the inter-county championship match to the team that lost the opener narrowly to Devon 129-126 a fortnight ago.

The selectors have left three rinks untouched, but made three player changes and several positional switches in the other three rinks.

They have brought in for the first time Wanborough’s Deanne Davis and recalled Box duo Jean Collier and Carol Grenfell to replace Julie Jones (Purton), Bev Lilley (Devizes) and Janice Rowe (Amesbury).

When Davis steps onto the green next Saturday at West Moors (near Ferndown) for the match against Dorset she will become the first player from Wanborough to represent the club in the Johns Trophy.

After losing their first inter-counties group match to Devon by three shots Wiltshire must register a victory in this one against Dorset to have any realistic chance of winning the group and qualifying for the quarter-finals next month.

The selectors have also named the two rinks to represent Wiltshire in the first round of the Walker Cup against Gloucestershire on Sunday, June 21 at Painswick Falcon BC (1.30pm).

Local players Alison Fail (Purton), Linda Kingston (Highworth) and Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway) feature in the team while the Box club have five players listed in the squad of ten players including reserves for this opening Walker Cup match, women’s national inter-county top two fours competition.

TEAM

Rink 1: Alison Fail (Purton), Margaret Annetts (Salisbury), Sue Cooke & Alex Jacobs (both Box). Rink 2: Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway), Jean Collier (Box), Linda Kingston (Highworth) & Sue Ochyra (Devizes). Reserves: Carol Grenfell and Kathryn Holmes (both Box).

WILTSHIRE Ladies' winning sequence in 2015 in the South West Counties League continued with a comprehensive away win over Somerset on Wednesday.

They recorded a massive 72-shot victory at Vivary Park, Taunton as they crushed Somerset 158-86.

Wiltshire took the honours on all six rinks to collect a maximum 22 pts - two points for each winning rink and ten for overall shots win - to set the early pace in this year’s SWCL having beaten Cornwall 18-4 previously.

The rink of Viv Baskerville, Jenny Couch, Jean Collier & Delia Godwin led the way with a 19-shot success, while double figure returns of 17 shots were recorded by Sue Ochyra and Janice Rowe’s rinks.

Stratton Churchway’s Janet Willis skipped her foursome to a seven-shot success.

Wiltshire’s next three SWCL matches are all away to Worcestershire on July 1 at St Dunstans (Worcester), Herefordshire seven days later at Eastnor (Ledbury) and Devon on July 16 at Tiverton West End BC.

RESULTS Rink 1: Wendy Anderson (Stratton Churchway), Pat Jones (S’marine), Janice Bull (Amesbury) & Sue Ochyra (Devizes) beat Jane Keedwell 29-12. Rink 2: Chris Mitchell (Purton), Margaret Webber (Alderbury), Alison Fail (Purton) & Alex Jacobs (Box) beat Elaine Amery 23-18. Rink 3: Ann Roberts-Phare (N Wilts), June Corbett (Town Gardens), Babs Salter (Wroughton) & Margaret Annetts (Salisbury) beat Margaret Dyer 21-14. Rink 4: Viv Baskerville (Chippenham T), Jenny Couch (S Melksham), Jean Collier (Box) & Delia Godwin (Spencer M) beat Jenny Bell 34-15. Rink 5: Joyce Little (pres, Dev), Glenda Hibberd (Wilton), Mo Woolley (Alder) & Janet Willis (Stratton C) 25-18. Rink 6: Eileen Hawker (SM), Dawn Edwards (Avon), Bev Lilley (Dev) & Janice Rowe (Ames) beat Jill Price 26-9.

Score: Wiltshire beat Somerset 158-86 and by 22pts to nil.