MIKE Titcombe missed out again for the second time this year in his bid to finally lay the Westlecot men’s 35-year old jinx and win a male national indoor title.

The 22-year-old was beaten in the men’s junior singles at the end of January at City of Ely IBC and failed again over Easter at Melton & District, losing in the semi-finals of the men’s singles championship.

In the first round at Melton, Titcombe began well with a comfortable 21-11 win over Glen Adams (Herga, Harrow Middx).

Later he had a much harder game in the quarter-finals but beat Alton’s Adam White (Chawton Park, Hants) 21-16.

Scarborough's Jack Bird was next up for Titcombe in the semis and the Westlecot youngster made the perfect start to lead 6-0 after only two ends.

Bird slowly clawed his way back, wiping out his deficit to eventually lead 14-13. With the momentum now firmly in his favour, Bird went 17-14 and 18-15 up before a two put him 20-15 ahead and victory in sight.

Titcombe pulled a two and a single back to cut the gap to 20-18 but Bird sealed a 21-18 success on the next with a single to book his place in the final and leave Titcombe to reflect on his second semi-final loss in a couple of months.

The Westlecot trio Mel Biggs, Ian Jefferies and Neil Smith were also in action at Melton in the men’s triples championship.

In the last 16, they were involved in a tight game against Craig Doughty, Russell Francis and Graham Shadwell from the Clarrie Dunbar.

Smith’s troops led 12-9 after 10 ends but were 15-14 down at 15. However, they managed to tie the game 18-18 and then scored a single on the extra end to win 19-18.

They made a disastrous start in the quarter-finals against Barwell (Leics), dropping a big count of seven and never fully recovered.

The gap was still 15-9 and 18-12 at 10 and 15 ends respectively but a late charge saw them get to 18-16 down after 18 ends but still lose.

Westlecot also had representatives at Melton in the ladies triples and pairs championship events.

Jayne Croston, Katy Smith and Lucy Smith went out in round one of the triples 17-7 to a team from Norfolk IBC (Norwich).

But the Smith girls went extremely close to causing a major upset in the ladies pairs championship.

They knocked out Carole Baker and Rebecca Field from Norwich 17-15 in round one and then pushed holders Wendy King and Sandy Hazell (Swale, Sittingbourne, Kent) all the way before losing on the last end.

The Smith’s were tied 5-5 after five ends before leading 15-7 after 10 ends but could not hold on.

The champions had cut the gap to 17-13 at 15 ends and tied the game at 17-17 to force a last-end shoot-out.

Their greater experience paid-off as they scored another two to defeat the brave Westlecot duo 19-17.

  • THE second block of the national championships commence in Nottingham today and run until April 16.

Westlecot’s hopes of glory and a first men’s title lie on the shoulders of the experienced foursome of Dave Snell, Denis Holborow, Terry Walton and Mel Biggs in the men’s over 60 fours event.

Their first game in the last 16 is this morning against a Suffolk rink from Beccles.

Walton and Biggs are seeking a double of senior men’s indoor and outdoor fours champions.

The duo were members of the Wootton Bassett team that won the inaugural senior (O55) fours championship at Royal Leamington Spa last summer at the Bowls England outdoor championships.