NEIL SMITH is through to the inter-area final in the national champion of champions competition.

The Westlecot indoor player secured a meeting with the Area 9 winner after a superb comeback against Mark Atkins (Malvern Hills) to win the Area 10 Champion of Champions final on Thursday evening.

Smith trailed Atkins on his own rink at Malvern Hills 19-13 but then produced three superb ends of bowls to seal a 21-19 success scoring 3, 3 and 2 for victory.

He will now face either Andrew Bailey (Tamworth & District) or Craig Carter (Rugby Thornfield) who have not played the Area 9 final yet in the inter-area final with a place in the final stages (last 16) at Warner Lakeside, Hayling Island, the prize for the winner.

This weekend Smith will be taking part in the Tye Green Open at Harlow, Essex which is the second tournament of 13 on the newly established planetbowls.com singles circuit.

Smith was beaten in the semi-finals of the first tournament held recently in Lincoln but is currently placed third in the rankings list.

Tournament three on the planetbowls.com circuit will be the Westlecot Open sponsored by Dexion over the weekend of December 8 and 9.

Neil Smith’s elder daughter Lucy failed to make it a family double as she missed out in the Area 10 champion of champions ladies final losing at Gloucester to Gill Fry 21-13 on her own rink.

n THE men’s senior side at Westlecot have been knocked-out of the national O60 inter-club double rink competition.

Westlecot were beaten 46-31 by Cotswold B (Stroud) in their second round match on Thursday afternoon.

They lost on both rinks going down at home 20-23 and away 11-23.

n Westlecot’s mixed team will be looking for a good start in the National Top Club competition tomorrow.

They visit North Wilts (Chippenham) in a first round tie (6pm).

The Top Club event features five disciplines - ladies and men’s two wood singles, mixed pairs, mixed triples and mixed fours.

Four points are awarded for each discipline win except in the two wood singles which only carry two points each. Should points totals be tied at 8-8 then shots will be used to deem the winner.

Last season Westlecot enjoyed a good run in the Top Club and reached the last eight before going out to Norfolk in the national quarter-finals staged in Torquay.

n CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Supermarine chairman Richard Gardiner.

He was elected as the new junior vice-president for next season at the men’s county annual general meeting last Saturday and will become the Wiltshire men’s president in 2015.

Gardiner, who originally played for Wills until their enforced closure, moved across to Supermarine for the 2002 season.

He was the county men’s assistant secretary to Alan Woodland from 2001-2003 and will become the first member from the Supermarine to hold the prestigious position of president when he takes the reigns for the 2015 season.

“It will be a great honour for the Supermarine Club when he becomes county president in a couple of years time,” said Supermarine’s former secretary Mike Baycroft.