WESTLECOT duo Lucy Smith and Mike Titcombe have doubled Wiltshire’s success rate at the Bowls England national championships being staged this month at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa.
Smith, who moved back to Westlecot for this year’s outdoor season, and Titcombe triumphed in the mixed pairs competition.
The combination, who are still regarded as juniors in bowls circles as they are both still U25s players, beat Herne Bay (Kent) duo Sara Trotter and Dave Mason 24-8 in the final.
They laid the foundations for victory in the opening exchanges of the final, winning eight of the first 10 ends to move into a comfortable 13-3 lead and never looked back.
They led 18-5 at 15 ends and a single on the 18th end put them 24-8 up when a halt was called.
It was Wiltshire’s second success at Leamington in 2019 as Royal Wootton Bassett men lifted the Club Two Fours crown a fortnight earlier.
Smith and Titcombe had reached Leamington and the last 16 of the mixed pairs by winning the Dorset and Wilts Area 9 section.
In the preliminary round, they defeated Alan Gough and partner (Stratton Churchway) 20-13 and then beat Purton’s Chris Mitchell and partner 22-20 in round one.
Jerry Kemble-Young and partner (Supermarine) were the next couple to fall to Smith and Titcombe, losing 25-19, while Purton’s Dave Jones and partner were blitzed in round three 28-4.
Next to fall in round four were Avon’s Marcia Hartley and partner 22-17, while in round five the Westlecot duo clinched victory in the Area 9 final and a place at Leamington with an 18-13 success over Dorset’s Bridget Hodder and partner from Poole Park.
Smith and Titcombe were pushed hard in their opening match in the last 16 at Leamington, winning on the last end 19-18 against Victoria Forster and Steven Cook (Workington, Cumbria).
In the quarter-finals, they beat Felixstowe & Suffolk’s Ellie Last and John Rednall 23-20.
A 24-19 success over Leicestershire’s Jamie-Lea Winch and Joe Dawson (Kingscroft) in the semi-finals followed before Smith and Titcombe claimed another national title for Wiltshire with a comprehensive 24-8 victory over Trotter and Mason.
- SHRIVENHAM’S Scott Winskill, who now plays his national bowls out of Berkshire for Tilehurst, Reading, won the men’s triples championship at Leamington.
Lead Winskill, along with Mark Hancock and Andy Knapper, beat Kevin Harrison, Mark Irwin and Stuart Irwin (Aspatria, Cumbria) in a last-end decider 16-13.
- THIS year’s national championships, which have run for the whole of August, draw to a close this weekend.
Wiltshire are seeking a third winner this season and have an interest in five of the events taking place.
Royal Wootton Bassett duo Kyle Anderson and Chris Cheesley contest the blue riband men’s four-wood singles event, the county ladies side defend the Amy Rose Bowl double rinks crown they won last year, and the U25s men compete in the last eight of the White Rose double rinks competition.
A mixed foursome with strong Bassett connections and led by Neil Smith contest the mixed fours, while Box bid for glory in the Tony Allcock O60s senior mixed double rinks.
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