BOWLS: Bassett and Westlecot at the double
6:00am Saturday 15th September 2012 in Latest News
Wootton Bassett and Westlecot both landed doubles at the Wiltshire Men’s National Championship finals staged at Devizes last weekend.
The triples and under 25 singles were won by Bassett players while Westlecot competitors triumphed in the fours and two wood singles championships.
Chippenham Town supplied the winners in the other two men’s national championship events - the singles and pairs competition.
The trio of James Nobbs, Neil Smith and skip Gary Morphet got Bassett off to a flying start in the triples final in their clash with arch rivals Westlecot, as they comprehensively defeated Michael Richards, Graham Hatherall and Mike Jackson 23-6.
Bassett’s Tom Walkley had earlier beaten Alex Wickham (Chippenham Town) 21-11 to retain his county U25 singles title.
Westlecot’s two successes came on Sunday in the fours and two wood singles over opposition from Spencer Moulton. The quartet of Hatherall, Ian Jefferies, Jackson and Mel Biggs were only tied 4-4 at five ends against Graham Shadwell’s rink, but pulled away to eventually win 23-12.
Hatherall then moved to the next rink to play Russell Francis in the two wood singles final, and eventually won 17-8 to take the title.
Despite all the success, there was heartbreak for Biggs in the singles and pairs championship finals, as he let his lead slip in both on the final end.
n THE men’s, ladies and mixed competitions saw Wootton Bassett and Highworth triumph in two finals at Devizes while Westlecot notched one success.
The Bassett trio of Dave Edmunds, Harold Jones and Alan Small survived a Malmesbury fightback to win the men’s over 60s triples final 24-15.
The Bassett brother and sister partnership of Matthew and Charlotte Daniell won both of their matches 17-13 and 23-11 to win the three team Under 21 Mixed Competition.
However, fellow Bassett player Gary Morphet failed to add to his triples championship, going down 21-18 to Keith Bailey (Holt) in the Champion of Champions final.
Highworth’s successes were Linda Kingston and Kevin Carter in the Champion of Champions and Greenkeepers singles finals respectively.
The other local winner was Westlecot’s Gary Jackson, who beat Bob Chalmers (Chippenham Town) 21-17 after 19 ends in the county men’s unbadged final.
Purton ’s Paul Boyles and Alison Fail missed out in their bid to win the Bowls Wiltshire Secretary and Treasurers final when losing 19-10 to Amesbury’s Rose Ellis and Janice Bull.
