STRATTON Churchway duo Jackie Pearce and skip Janet Willis have qualified for the 2019 county ladies’ pairs final at Bradford-on-Avon.

They booked their place at ladies’ county finals day on July 27 against Box pair Debbie Shadwell and Kathryn Yeoman with a superb performance at Salisbury last Saturday in the quarter and semi-finals.

A place in the pairs final also ensures the Stratton duo of representing Wiltshire at the latter stages of the national pairs championship at Royal Leamington Spa in August.

Wiltshire pairs champions in 2014 and runners-up the next season, Pearce and Willis were in the top half of the draw at Salisbury.

Their quarter-final match was a closely-fought affair against Chippenham Town, but they edged home to win 20-18.

They then faced a Swindon club in the semi-finals – the new pairs combination from Westlecot of Kay Webb and Sue Fletcher, who had thumped Avon (Melksham) duo Georgina Newman and Marcia Hartley comprehensively 23-10.

But the Westlecot pair failed to recapture that form in the semis, being totally outbowled by Churchway.

Pearce and Willis led throughout and were 6-2 up at five ends and were 6-5 ahead after seven, but then moved into overdrive to blow away their Westlecot rivals with a devastating run where they did not conceded another shot in the next 11 ends to take a 26-5 win after only 18 ends when the concession came.

Highworth duo Jo Hicks and Linda Young, pairs victors last year, were the only other local combination contesting the last eight at Salisbury.

The cup holders opened up by thrashing Trowbridge Westbourne in the quarter-finals 25-10.

However, Hicks and Young’s fine two-year run in the national pairs came to an end at the hands of Box duo Shadwell and Yeoman as they lost their semi 29-14.

Highworth led briefly early on but were 7-3 down after five ends and trailed 14-8 at 10 ends. They then found themselves 25-9 adrift at 15 ends, 26-13 at 18 and conceded 29-14 at 20 ends.

Attention now turns to the county ladies’ national four wood and two wood singles championship events.

The four wood singles commenced in the northern section (Swindon and Chippenham areas) on Monday, with games in the north and south sections due to be played last night.

Holder Linda Young (Highworth) was due to face Chippenham Park’s Kayrene Wilkins in the second round.

Meanwhile, the two wood singles will be played in the northern section today at North Wilts (Chippenham) and Chippenham Town, with 20 entrants at both venues, while the 33 entrants in the south section will battle it out at Devizes.

Four players from the north and four from the south sections will qualify for the last eight at Avon (Melksham) on July 19.

  • WILTSHIRE ladies bounced back from their opening South West Counties League defeat to Cornwall to beat Somerset 144-108 away at Chew Stoke.

County ladies took the honours on five of the six rinks, with the foursome of Purton’s Chris Mitchell, Julie Jones and skip Alison Fail, plus Highworth’s Deanne Davis, topping the scores with a 26-11 victory.

Close behind was Babs Salter’s rink that contained Wroughton colleague June Corbett, who won their match 23-11.