WESTLECOT’S junior team have reached the quarter-finals of the national mixed David Cornwell U25 two rink triples competition.

They will face top Devon junior side Torquay United at the neutral venue of Bristol City and County IBC on Sunday.

The competition is a new event this season and replaces the old mixed U25 double rinks, with Westlecot starting their campaign by beating Whiteknights (Reading) without bowling a wood in anger as the Berkshire side conceded the tie.

The second round saw Westlecot blitz Oxford City and County 45-14 and in round three, they enjoyed another comfortable 38-23 win against Bristol.

With everyone available, Westlecot have named an unchanged team to play Torquay.

WESTLECOT indoor players have secured more places at the blocks of national championship events to be held in Melton & District and Nottingham over the coming weeks.

In Area 14 ladies section, the Smith sisters, Lucy and Katy, thumped Helen Jones and Eileen Devonald-Batt (Desborough, Maidenhead) in the pairs final 23-5 at Loddon Vale (Basingstoke) to book a place at the national championship final stages.

The Smith sisters were then joined at Loddon Vale by Westlecot colleague Jayne Croston in the Area 14 triples final, recording another comprehensive 22-1 victory over a trio from Whiteknights IBC, Reading led by Caroline Mabley.

They will face Norfolk, led by Rebecca Field, on both occasions at the national finals at Melton.

One other match in Area 14 took place this week in the men’s section involving Westlecot players but it was highly successful.

The foursome of Dave Snell, Denis Holborow, Terry Walton and Mel Biggs won the O60s fours final to book a place in the age group section of the national finals at Nottingham.

They had a tough battle to get through, though, having to come from behind to beat a gritty quartet from West Berks (Newbury) 18-12 and will now face Beccles (Suffolk).

Westlecot also still have an interest in the family pairs competition.

Tom Pittuck and father Barry have to play Carterton’s Paul and Joe Justin in the Area 14 final at Oxford City & County on Saturday.

FIRST round matches in the Wessex League play-offs threw up a host of surprise results last weekend.

The biggest shocks were last season’s winners, Clarrie Dunbar (Frome), and runners-up, Kingsthorpe (Northants), both crashing out, while all four wildcard entrants progressed to the quarter-finals as five of the six regional winners bit the dust.

Holders Clarrie exited in round one to wildcard Midlands side Bromsgrove, losing 73-82.

While last season’s beaten finalists Kingsthorpe lost to Dolphin (Poole) 80-73, another wildcard club.

And to complete the big shocks, East region wildcard Carterton ousted Coastal region winners Moonfleet (Weymouth) 90-80 and Atherley (Southamptom), another wildcard entrant eliminated, East winners Loddon Valley.

Westlecot, who were awarded a walkover when West region winners Torquay United conceded their first round tie, will now meet surprise package Bromgrove on Sunday, with two rinks home and two rinks away.

Westlecot are unable to field their strongest side as the match clashes with the re-arranged national David Cornwell U25 two rinks triples at Bristol.