LAST YEAR Wiltshire Ladies enjoyed their best outdoor season in the inter-county championship for the Johns Trophy for 23 years reaching the last four at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

En route to Leamington they won the west group section A defeating Dorset, Cornwall and Somerset and then beat Devon, the other west winners of section B in the quarter-finals to book a semi-final place at Leamington for the first time since 1995 when they lifted the Johns Trophy against Sussex.

In last season’s Johns semi-final they thumped Yorkshire but alas were unable to go on later in the day and collect another Johns success.

They were beaten in the final losing out to a strong Surrey unit claiming the Johns Trophy for a record 22nd time.

Added to this Wiltshire junior ladies (31yrs & U) triumphed in the Amey Rose Bowl for the first time lifting the trophy with victory in the final at Leamington early in September over Cornwall.

During this 2019 campaign county ladies will be seeking to go one better in the Johns Trophy at Leamington Spa in August and also retain their Amey Rose double rinks competition crown.

This season in the Johns Trophy they have been drawn in section A of the west group again but this time will face Gloucestershire (June 1), Warwickshire (June 22) and Dorset (July 6).

In preparation for the new Johns campaign county ladies selectors have already held a first trial at Devizes a few days ago and have named 40 players for trial two at Wroughton on May 11(2pm) with 17 of the players drawn from eight local clubs.

Highworth have the highest representation with four players and are closely followed by Purton and Supermarine with three each while Stratton Churchway and Royal Wootton Bassett supply two each.

Wroughton, Westlecot and Wanborough all have one representative.

LOCAL PLAYERS also feature prominently in the side chosen for the match away against Cornwall at the neutral venue of Tiverton West End on Tuesday, May 14, Wiltshire ladies first game in their defence of the South West Counties Ladies League championship.

Eight of the 24 ladies selected are from four local clubs only. They are Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones and Alison Fail (Purton), June Corbett and Babs Salter (Wroughton), Pat Jones (Supermarine),Janet Willis (Stratton Churchway) and Deanne Davis (Highworth).

LADIES National championship and county competitions were due to commence yesterday with first round games being played in the national fours championship .

The one match in the north section involved a Wroughton foursome led by Babs Salter playing  Barbara Land’s four from Chippenham Town.

While in the south section four matches were scheduled to be played.