LAST season Westlecot’s indoor mixed team reached the quarter-finals of the National Top Club at Torquay before losing to Norfolk IBC, but this time around they made a swift exit from the competition.

Westlecot crashed to a heavy defeat on Sunday evening when comprehensively beaten in an away first round tie at Chippenham by Wiltshire indoor rivals North Wilts.

They only won one of the five disciplines - mixed pairs - but lost the other four going down in the men’s and ladies two wood singles, mixed triples and mixed fours.

Four points were on offer for a win in three of the disciplines and two points each in both two wood singles therefore Westlecot only gained four points and were thumped by North Wilts 12-4.

The Swindon indoor club could not have made a worse start with Josie Lloyd being outbowled by Janet Hardie in the ladies two wood singles and trailing 17-3 at 15 ends while the mixed fours were 18-0 down at 10 ends and the triples 12-6 at nine ends.

North Wilts kept up the pressure with Hardie finally winning 26-3 at 21 ends but Westlecot’s mixed fours lost 21-10 despite a late rally and Tom Walkley’s triple, who always trailed, could not get in a telling blow with North Wilts skip Billy McCay in fine form.

Kevin Embling put up a brave fight and was involved in a top class men’s two wood singles match against Wayne Snook.

He led 4-0 early on but was pegged back to 4-4 at six ends before Snook moved ahead. Embling got back to 8-7 down at 12 ends but then Snook edged away again to a 15-11 success at 21 ends.

The only ray of light came in the mixed pairs from Ellen Bolland and Ian Jefferies who held the upper hand for most of their game and recorded Westlecot’s lone success.

They led 4-3 at six ends but dropped a five on the 10th to go 9-8 down.

However they came straight back to forge into a 18-11 lead before conceding a six on the last end to finally win by one shot.

Westlecot Ladies are out of the Mason Trophy, national over 60s inter-club double rinks competition.

They had to give second best to their old adversaries MidGlos as their A team were beaten 46-30 in a third round tie.

Westlecot took the honours at home as Wendy Anderson’s rink came from behind, after trailing 10-6 at 10 ends, to level at 14-14 at 15 and go on and claim a two shot victory.

Away Doris Woodley’s four kept their match tight and at 10 ends were only 9-7 down but then faded badly in the latter stages.

They were 14-10 down at 15 ends but did not score again on the last six ends and lost by 18 shots at Brockworth.

Revenge will be on the cards when Westlecot Ladies face MidGlos in a second round Yetton Trophy tie.

The two clubs have been paired together again next Thursday, November 29, in the ladies inter-club four rink championship.

Westlecot are forced into a few team changes owing to illness.

Westlecot men have lost top spot in the east region of the Wessex League without even bowling a wood.

It was their turn in the nine team section to sit out last weekends fixtures and both Carterton and West Berks duly capitalised as the Swindon indoor club dropped to third spot in the table.

Carterton whitewashed Oxford & District to go eights points clear of Westlecot and three points ahead of West Berks who recorded an impressive victory over Oxford City & County.

But with a game in hand over both of these clubs and the only unbeaten side in the east section Westlecot men are still very handily place with still five matches to play before the play-offs.