WESTLECOT men are enjoying a revival following an indifferent start to the campaign in national team competitions and a new lease of life in the regional Wessex League after missing out on last season’s play-offs.

They have reached the third round in the Denny Plate and will play Clevedon next Saturday.

And the senior men at the Old Town Club are through to round five in the men’s national Over 60s double rinks competition.

After a round one bye they followed it up with wins over Stroud-based Cotswold A and Malvern Hills. Then last week in round four they accounted for Gloucester 46-30 after winning on both rinks.

Westlecot led across the board from the outset, going 13-4 up at five ends, 22-17 at 10 ends, 29-24 at 15 and moving 34-28 ahead at 18 before finishing with a flourish to win 46-30.

The home rink of Kevin Embling, Geoff Smith, Terry Walton and Dave Snell led 7-0 after four ends and never looked back, moving 19-10 ahead at 15 ends before finally winning their match 24-13.

Away at Gloucester, the quartet of Denis Holborow, Tony Rivers, Dave Matthews and John Thomas had a much tougher time.

After leading 6-3 at five ends, they were 10-7 down at ten, 14-10 at 15 and 17-11 at 18. But then finished with a superb flourish of two, five and four to turn the match on its head and win 22-17.

AFTER accounting for Loddon Vale, who were runners-up last year, three weeks ago, Westlecot added the scalp last Sunday of reigning east section champions West Berks, beating them 92-68.

The Old Town club were in scintillating form, recording their fifth group win of the campaign to extend their lead at the top of the east group table to seven points.

Westlecot made a flying start, especially at home, and led 23-0 after five ends and 33-7 at 10, with Mel Biggs 18-4 up and Ian Jefferies 15-3 ahead - the perfect base for what was expected to be a very tough match which had been predicted to go either way.

This rapid home response combined with the two away rinks in Newbury enjoying a fine opening to their games gave Westlecot a very healthy 60-24 overall lead at halfway (11 ends) and high hopes of another win.

They continued to call the tune, leading 78-39 at 15 ends and 83-51 at 18 before sealing a great 92-68 success despite Dave Godwin’s rink dropping a six on the last end to only win their match by one shot.

Westlecot finished whitewashing West Berks for a maximum 16 points to move back to the top of the east region table and go into the new year top of the pile and full of optimism to reach the play-offs.

SWINDON MANOR put in a much-improved performance in the Wessex League after their heavy defeat to Westlecot the previous weekend to push second in the east group table Carterton to the wire.

They only lost by five shots and took the honours on one rink, drew on another and only lost narrowly on the other two.

Ian Thomas’ home rink won by two shots to collect two points while Carl Fernandes quartet added another point when grabbing an 18-18 draw away in Carterton.

The other away rink led by Kevin Mitchell went down narrowly on the last end by two shots and Richard Young’s home foursome lost by six shots.