WOOTTON Bassett men won the Wiltshire Four Rink League play-offs title last Sunday for only the third time in the club’s 86-year history.

They staged a tremendous recovery after being 13 shots down at halfway (ten ends) to beat favourites Holt in the final by nine shots on the neutral green at Devizes as they ran-out 77-68 victors.

Bassett first won this prestigious men’s county league title, which began in 1920, in 1973 and won it again in 1989 Wootton Bassett, fielding the same side that had beaten Westlecot in the semi-finals a week earlier, with one exception – Mike Martin dropping to the subs bench with Harold Jones coming in to replace him on Neil Smith’s rink - made a slow start to the match.

Bassett trailed Holt 26-14 across the board at five ends and 44-31 at 10 with three of their four rinks all losing.

But they regrouped and fought back to cut the gap to 56-49 at 15 ends and drew level at 62-62 after 18.

With the momentum Bassett clinched the title pulling away to score 15 shots and only conceding six.

At the finish Neil Smith kept his match tight while Dave Snell produced a big count of five and then a single on ends 18 and 19 for a 19-15 win.

The other win came from Gary Morphet who scored seven shots on the last two ends while Steve Snell’s quartet, despite losing, cut their deficit drastically with six shots over the last three ends.

RESULTS

Rink 1: James Nobbs, Harold Jones, Chris Cheesley & Neil Smith lost to Wayne Simmonds, Graham Archard, Wayne Snook & Ben Gadd 16-17. Rink 2: Lawrence Smith, Alan Small, John Williamson & Dave Snell beat Rod Summers, Adrian Bolwell, Rob Jeffreys & Justin Davis 19-15. Rink 3: Richard Buckland, Dave Pugh, Dave Godwin & Steve Snell lost to Martin Oliver, John Robertson, Kevin Oliver & Don Gray 20-24. Rink 5: Barry Sictorness, Andy Crump, Terry Walton & Gary Morphet beat Tony Keating, Keith Bailey, Kevin Rowden & Craig Doughty 22-12.

Score: Wootton Bassett (10pts) 77 Holt (4pts) 68.

BASSETT Ladies missed-out on completing a team double at Devizes as they lost the Top Ten final 3-1 to holders Box.

The ladies were in with a great chance of causing a major upset in the Top Ten final as they were leading in three of the four disciplines - fours, singles and triples and only down in the pairs - after the halfway point against Box to hold a 3-1 advantage.

However, the match turned when Wootton Bassett’s Lucy Smith lost her lead to Janet Hardie.

Box capitalised in both the fours and triples to eventually draw both of those two disciplines.

RESULTS

Singles: Lucy Smith lost to Janet Hardie 20-21 (0-1); Pairs: Maureen Rogers & Patricia Murray lost to Karen Funnell & Alex Jacobs 11-29 (0-1); Triples: Ginny Nash, Barbara Twine & Pat Edmonds drew with Lolly Braddon, Jean Collier & Sue Cooke 17-17 (0.5-0.5); Fours: Carol Pugh, Doreen Croucher, Katy Smith & Charlie Harding drew with Debbie Shadwell, Jane Taylor, Sue Dix & Carol Grenfell 17-17 (0.5-0.5).

Score: Wootton Bassett lost to Box 1-3.