WILTSHIRE Bowls Association championship finals held at Westlecot produced three very hard fought games and close finishes but only one local winner.

The lone success was recorded by Westlecot in the national triples where Mel Biggs, Neil Hope and Mark Dyer edged home on the last end with a count of two for a one-shot success over Wootton Bassett.

The other three national finals in the singles, pairs and fours were won by Westinghouse, Chippenham Town and Alderbury respectively.

Bassett also supplied the runner-up in the singles, while Purton missed out in the fours, losing on an extra end.

The singles final saw a high-scoring start before settling down into a gripping, closely fought affair.

Neil Smith (Wootton Bassett) dropped a four on the first end but quickly recovered with a four and three on the next two and at five ends led Keith Hutchens (Westinghouse) 8-5.

A spate of singles then followed with Smith holding a narrow 11-10 advantage at 10 ends but trailing 14-12 at 15.

However, a run of 2,1,2 saw him go 17-15 up at 19 ends only for Hutchens to dig deep and hit back with a single and two twos to move into a 20-17 advantage after 22 ends and then clinch victory on the next.

Hutchens, who took the singles title for the first time, said: "I am pleased to have won but it has not really sunk in yet. I knew I had to play well, as Neil is a very good bowler."

Smith said: "My great run in the singles both indoors and outdoors had to come to an end some time. Hopefully it will start again at Worthing."

The pairs final was a one-sided affair where Chippenham Town duo Mike Savin and John Lucas easily overcame the challenge of Holt's Martin Oliver and Malcolm Webb.

They only led 10-6 at 10 ends but then forged away for a 25-10 success with Holt conceding victory after 19 ends.

The triples and fours were tense finals and both went down to the wire.

Despite opening with a four Westlecot's Middleton Cup trio of Biggs, a former two-times national championship winner at Worthing, Hope and Dyer trailed Richard Buckland, Hedley Bowen and Rob Clews (Wootton Bassett) 8-5 at five and 12-7 at 10 ends.

A run of 2,1,1,2 saw them go 13-12 up at 14 ends but then they dropped a two on the next, and a single on the 16th brought the two sides level at 14-14 with only two ends remaining.

Bassett edged ahead again with a single and looked in command again on the 18th and final end until Hope moved the jack with his second wood to change the head completely.

Skip Dyer drew in a second shot, while Bassett were unable to respond to give the Westlecot trio a 16-15 win.

It needed an extra end to decide the destination of the fours championship with Alderbury just edging out the Purton quartet of Miles Roberts, Mark Wadsworth, Ian Williams (substitute for Chris Cheesley) and Ray Sowden.

The match was all square at 6-6 after 10 ends but Purton dropped a single and a five on the next two ends but fought back to only trail 12-11 at 15.

However, they were 15-12 adrift at 18 but again produced a comeback with a three and then a single to lead 16-15 going into the last end.

Purton's hopes of victory were thwarted as Alderbury picked up a single on the 21st end to level at 16-16 and force an extra end which they took with another single.

All of the finalists will represent Wiltshire in the EBA National Championships at Worthing later in the month, along with Russell Francis (Spencer Moulton) in the National Junior Singles.

Results

Singles: Keith Hutchens (Westinghouse) beat Neil Smith (Wootton Bassett) 21-17.

Pairs: Mike Savin & John Lucas (Chippenham Town) beat Martin Oliver & Malcolm Webb (Holt) 25-10.

Triples: Mel Biggs, Neil Hope, Mark Dyer (Westlecot) beat Richard Buckland, Hedley Bowen,Rob Clews (Wootton Bassett) 16-15.

Fours: Jerry Woolley, Alan Wilson, Peter Frost, John Webb (Alderbury) beat Miles Roberts, Mark Wadsworth, Ian Williams, Ray Sowden 17-16 (after extra end).

n PURTON failed in their bid at Wootton Bassett yesterday to win the regional final of the National Double Rinks, losing 49-40 to Barnstaple in their semi-final.