CLUBS from this readership area, plus the south of the county, dominate the 40 players invited to the first men’s trial for the 2019 Middleton Cup squad being held at Royal Wootton Bassett this Sunday (9.45am).

Almost half of the players chosen to trial hail from host club Bassett, with 17 male members selected.

The rest include four from Holt, two from Avon, two from Spencer Moulton, plus Russell Francis and one from Chippenham Town plus five from southern club Salisbury.

The remaining eight players selected to trial are from northern clubs Swindon Westlecot (6) and a lone representative from both Highworth and Swindon Town Gardens.

After Sunday’s first trial, the 40 players will be reduced to 32, who will be invited back for the final trial on May 19 at Bassett.

Mike Jackson (Westlecot), the new Middleton Cup team manager, plus four selectors from around the county Wayne Snook (Holt), Dave Godwin (Royal Wootton Bassett), Keith Hutchens (Chippenham Park) and Tom Warner (Salisbury), together with Wiltshire U25 junior team manager Adam Tanner, will decide on the 32 players for the final inter-county trial.

This season, Wiltshire men have been drawn in a five-team west group section B alongside Somerset (away June1), Herefordshire (H June 8), Worcestershire (H June 15) and Cornwall (A July 6), with only the group winner moving forward to the quarter-finals in late July.

WILTSHIRE Junior U25 men have made a highly successful start to the new outdoor season.

After beating Somerset on all three rinks at Chippenham Town at the end of April, they followed it up with a successful defence of the annual Four Counties Tournament held this year on Bank Holiday Monday at Royal Wootton Bassett.

Wiltshire won on all three rinks to retain the trophy with maximum points.

Leading the way for the young Moonrakers was Mike Titcombe’s rink that included Bassett’s George Twine as they managed a comfortable 25-8 win over Gloucestershire.

Rinks skipped by Adam Bolwell (Spencer Moulton) and Tom Newman (Avon) came from behind to beat Somerset 28-20 and Worcestershire 21-16 respectively. The Newman rink included Hayden Daniell (RWB).

Wiltshire junior men next play a three-rink fixture against Oxfordshire at Kidlington on Sunday.