WILTSHIRE U25 men’s side hope to book a place at the National Men’s Championships at Worthing on August 10 this weekend.

The county junior team compete in the west regional final of the White Rose Trophy, men’s national county U25 two fours competition, at Bath BC on Sunday.

Two years ago Wiltshire reached the semi-finals before losing out to eventual White Rose Trophy winners Huntingdonshire.

In Sunday’s regional final they face Dorset in the morning semi-finals and, if successful, either Devon or Warwickshire in the final in the afternoon.

The county junior men clinched their place in the regional last four with a powerful 46-40 first round victory over Worcestershire leading overall from start to finish.

They won on both rinks with Tom Walkley (skip) edging home 19-18 while the other skip Michael Richards led his four to an eventual 27-22 win even though they were 24-0 up after nine ends.

Wiltshire make one change and one positional change in the Richards’ rink for the regional semi-final.

Wayne Snook (Holt), who was unavailable for the first round, comes in at three with Paul Stokes dropping back to number two in the rink and Craig Hatherall reverting to the reserves bench.

The other three regional finals will be staged on Sunday at Iver Heath (Bucks), Kirkbymoorside (Yorks) and Bedford with the four regional champions progressing to the last four at Worthing on August 16.

The final clashes with Wiltshire’s scheduled men’s national championship semi-finals.

Chippenham Town should have been hosting the last four in both the triples and fours on Sunday morning and afternoon respectively.

The triples semi-final between holders Wootton Bassett (James Nobbs, Neil Smith and Gary Morphet ) and Chippenham Town (Dave Godwin, Paul Macdonald and Neil Connor) will take place as planned from 10am.

The other, all-Holt, semi has already been played, with 2010 winners and twice-runners-up Wayne Simmonds, Snook and Ben Gadd losing to clubmates Rob Jeffreys, Don Gray and Justin Davis 20-10.

Davis’ trio have booked a place at Worthing in August and in the county final at Devizes on Saturday/Sunday September 7/8.

The all-Wootton Bassett fours semi final clash between Lawrence Smith, Dave Snell, Tom Walkley (in U25 team) and Steve Snell versus James Nobbs, Chris Cheesley, Gary Morphet and Neil Smith has been re-arranged for Sunday, June 30.

While the other is dependent on two quarter-final matches being completed this week after being postponed owing to a waterlogged green at Wootton Bassett on May 28.

Wiltshire U25 team

Rink 1: Gary Jackson, Paul Stokes (both Westlecot), Wayne Snook (Holt) & Michael Richards (W’lecot). Rink 2: Jordan Moody, Tom Warner, Nick Revell (all Amesbury) & Tom Walkley (Wootton Bassett).

Res: Craig Hatherall and Michael Titcombe Jnr (both W’lecot).

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