SUPERMARINE Ladies went close to upsetting holders Box in the county ladies top team competition in their first appearance in the Top Ten final last Sunday at Devizes at the Bowls Wiltshire domestic finals weekend.

It was Box’s 10th successive appearance in the final but Supermarine pushed them all the way, managing to share the disciplines 2-2.

Supermarine won the singles and fours disciplines but lost the triples and fours to be edged out 84-76 on shots overall.

Nicki Kemble-Young gave Marine a fine start, taking the ladies singles discipline 21-17 against Jean Collier.

Marine also reigned supreme in the fours discipline, with the quartet of Claire Williamson, Kath Taylor, Cheryl Walker and Susan Griffiths roaring away to a thumping 27-13 victory.

The pairs discipline was a closely-fought affair for Marine’s Ann Andrews and Marilyn Kilburn against Karen Funnell and Wiltshire ladies county captain Alex Jacobs until the last few ends, with the Box pair winning 26-19.

The triples discipline was a huge disappointment for Supermarine as Maria Webster, Marian Kilburn and Pat Jones (skip) were hammered 28-9 by Helen Ellis, Carol Massey and Sue Cooke.

  • STRATTON Churway duo Jackie Pearce and Janet Willis produced a stunning finish, taking the last five ends to win the county ladies national pairs title 25-17 after beating Debbie Shadwell and Kathryn Yeoman (Box) in the final.

The match was carried over from late July as Shadwell was competing successfully in two other county finals that day – triples and fours.

Pearce and Willis led 5-3 at five ends and were tied 8-8 at nine. They then lost the next three ends to be 15-8 down at 12 ends and still trailed 17-12 after 16.

The Churchway duo then upped the tempo, producing a magnificent match-winning run to blast Box aside and take the pairs trophy with a 25-17 success.

  • OTHER local winners from the Swindon area at county domestic finals weekend at Devizes were sparse.

The exception was Westlecot newcomer Sue Fletcher, although she needed an extra end to win the BW county unbadged singles title.

Fletcher beat Lynn Hicks (Devizes) in the semi-finals 16-12, while Jane Kimber (Winsley) beat Carol Massey (Box) 15-10.

However, the final against Kimber was a far tougher contest for Fletcher.

Fletcher took a while to settle and trailed for most of the match. She was 6-2 behind at five ends and 8-6 at 10.

Fletcher was still adrift 11-9 at 15 ends but drew level at 11-11 at 16 before losing the next two ends to trail 14-11 at 18.

Two maximums of two put her 15-14 ahead at 20 ends, only for Kimber to score a single on the last end to draw level at 15-15 and send the match to an extra end, which Fletcher won with a single.

However, locals were beaten in the men’s and ladies Bowls Wiltshire champion of champions competitions.

Patricia Murray (Royal Wotton Bassett) went down 21-17 to Janice Bull (Amesbury).

Murray was tied 7-7 at five ends, 14-11 down at 10, 17-15 down at 15 and 19-17 down at 18 before losing 21-17.

In the men’s champion of champions, Paul Pope (Swindon North End) missed out, losing 21-15 to Mike Tyler (Amesbury).

The Rodbourne Cheney duo of Dave Royle and Steve Rose were edged out of the BW secretary and treasurers pairs event 21-19 to Don Butchers and Richard Coombs (Mere).

Royle and Rose led 6-5 at five ends, 10-9 at 10 and were still ahead 15-11 at 14 ends but the wheels fell off the wagon on end 15 as they trailed 16-15.

Cheney restored parity at 16-16 at end 16 and 17-17 at 18 and went ahead again to lead 18-17 with two to play.

But Royle and Rose hit disaster on end 20 to finally lose the match 21-19.