WESTLECTOT booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Wessex League after roaring to a 76-66 success over Rugby in the last 16.

After a slow start in the away matches, Westlecot soon hit top gear to claim victory on three of the four rinks contested.

On home soil, Mel Biggs’ quartet beat Liam Pearcey 16-15 and Ian Jefferies’ team overcame Craig Carter 26-19. Up at Rugby, Mikey Titcombe and his crew were 18-15 winners over Howard Wilkins 18-15, although Kyle Anderson and his quartet lost 17-16 to Jordan Ward.

THERE was disappointment for Westlecot duo Neil Smith and Chris Cheesley in the Area final of the men’s pairs competition as they were narrowly beaten 15-14 by a Whiteknights partnership at Loddon Vale.

However, there was better news for Smith and Cheesley in the men’s fours as and Kevin Embling and Ian Jeffries qualified for the national finals of the fours competition.

The quartet beat Steve Tuohy’s team from Egham 25-15 in the Area Final and will now go for national glory at Melton Mowbray on March 25.

There are further Area finals for Westlecot over the coming week as Embling, Dave Matthews, John Thomas and Terry Walton compete in the men’s over-60s competition. They take on Derek Parson’s quartet from West Berks at Oxford City & County on Tuesday.

Then on Saturday, March 18, the father and son team of Graham and Craig Hatherall face off against Whiteknights in the family pairs Area final, also at Oxford City & County.

WESTLECOT’S ladies were spiked 44-24 by Thornbury in the Mason Trophy.

Janet Willis’ home rink edged to a slender 18-17 success but the away rink were comprehensively outbowled by a very good home team and lost 27-6.

WILTSHIRE came out narrow one-shot winners when they took on West Berkshire in a friendly, edging home 125-124 at Newbury.

The visitors were trailing by seven shots after five ends but by 15 had turned it around to lead by 11.

Berkshire then began to up the pressure and led by one going into the final end but acting Wiltshire president Martin Salter kept his composure to score a two and hand his side the spoils by the narrowest of margins.