WESTLECOT indoor bowls club go into the Christmas and New Year break still running in one national team event albeit a junior competition, the David Cornwell U25 two rink triples.

The senior men’s and ladies teams have all been eliminated from national team competitions.

The junior mixed team booked a quarter-final spot last Saturday with a narrow hard fought third round 31-29 victory over Basingstoke indoor club, Loddon Vale IBC in the U25 two rink triples.

Although missing a couple of players due to unavailability including England junior international Mike Titcombe the mixed team drew the rink honours 1-1.

The home rink of George Twine, Lucy Smith and skip Josh Fail won their match 17-14 while the Westlecot away triple of Kerry Hatherall, David Murray and skip Craig Hatherall kept their match extremely tight only losing by one shot 14-15 to ensure Westlecot won the tie overall 31-29.

In the quarter-finals and last eight they will have to play top Devon indoor side Exonia on Sunday, January 19, at a neutral venue approximately halfway between the clubs and is most likely to be Bristol City and County IBC (Ashton Vale) as the 100 mile travelling distance rule comes into play.

In round one the Old Town club accounted for top Berkshire side Whiteknights (Reading) 40-32 and followed it with a second round two shot victory 31-29 over Dorset side Dolphin (Poole) before knocking Hampshire side Loddon Vale last Sunday.

SWINDON MANOR ladies have grabbed their second chance in the consolation Yetton Plate national competition with both hands.

After losing their round one Yetton Trophy national competition match to Westlecot 87-40 despite drawing the two home rinks in Rodbourne Cheney 40-40 overall they have bounced back in style in the Plate.

Manor eliminated Rivermead (Reading) narrowly 70-68 and followed it up with a fine 78-64 success over another Berkshire side Newbury-based West Berks.

Now they face early into the new year Cotswold (Stroud) in a fourth round last 16 tie on Saturday, January 4.

NATIONAL championships are just beginning to bubble-up as they have reached the last 32 stage in the Area 14 section in both the men’ s and ladies events.

Westlecot’s last remaining player in the Area 14 singles Andy Mcintyre lost to Andrew Docherty (Banbury) 21-14 in the fifth round and last 16.

However in the pairs the Old Town club still have Ian Jefferies and partner plus Neil Smith and Chris Cheesley through to the quarter-finals to be played by January 12.

While in the triples Neil Smith and his team have reached the quarters as has Mike Titcombe and his team. Titcombe’s rink are also through to the quarter-finals in the fours competition.

In the two bowl singles Westlecot’s original entry of seven players is down to only one. Neil Smith having beaten Mike Titcombe 21-12 in the last 16 round to reach the quarter-finals.

The over 60s age group competitions have only reached the last 16 stage so far but in the pairs Mike Kilburn and partner from Swindon Manor are drawn against Westlecot’s John Thomas and partner.

The ladies championship events in Area 14 are slightly more advanced than the men’s.

Westlecot’s last remaining representatives Yvette Maxwell-Darkes and Lucy Smith both lost 21-14 in the area quarter-finals of the singles to Wendy Sandy (Carterton) and Katherine Hawes (Oxford D) respectively.

Lucy and Katy Smith have to play Hawes and her partner in the pairs quarter-finals by January 12 but Maxwell-Darkes fell at this stage losing 19-12 to Carol Gaskins and partner from Oxford City & County.

Lucy Smith and her team gained revenge over Hawes in the triples winning 17-9 and now will play Westlecot colleagues led by Janet Willis in the area semi-final by February 9.

There were only seven entries in the fours with the quarter-final draw placing Smith and Willis teams against each other again.

Two bowl ladies singles in area 14 only drew a disappointing 14 entries with the three players from Westlecot pitched against each other.

Katy Smith plays Wendy Sandy (Carterton) away in the quarter-finals while club colleagues Lucy Smith and Jayne Croston face each other.

The Area 14 ladies’ age groups have not commenced yet as the number of entries this season is very low.

SEVERAL players from the Westlecot indoor club will be taking part in the Open Singles Circuit’s Dolphin tournament being staged on the Dorset coast at Poole today and tomorrow.

It is organised and being run by the OSC administrator Neil Smith and will feature 86 bowlers including nine from Westlecot and Wiltshire.

They will be chasing a prize pot of £2,600 which includes £1,200 for the winner and £500 for the runner-up.

The Westlecot players entered are: Lucy Smith, Phil Gregory, Mike Titcombe, Clive Vaughan, Andy McIntyre, Craig Hatherall, Katy Smith, Neil Smith and Chris Cheesley plus North Wilts’ (Chippenham) trio Chris Moore, Rich Ellis and Jordan Moore.