WESTLECOT were surprisingly beaten in the area final of the national Top Club competition on Thursday night.

Their hopes of a return to Worthing in the competition and the chance to go one better than last year when beaten in the final by Banbury Borough were ended by unfancied Dorset side Wessex Bowls Club from Broadstone, near Poole.

Despite home advantage and fielding nine players who have all represented Wiltshire this season in the Middleton Cup, plus former England international and three-times national champion Mel Biggs, Westlecot suffered a shock 3-2 defeat.

The Wessex side contained no Middleton Cup players and just one person who has had trials but failed to break into the Dorset team.

Westlecot got off to a bad start on the heavy green as Ian Jefferies was soundly beaten in the two wood singles.

Then Neil Smith was beaten in the four wood singles 21-16 despite a spirited fightback from 18-8 down.

However, although 2-0 down it still appeared rosy for Westlecot as they held handsome leads in the other three disciplines - pairs, triples and fours.

At 10 ends Mel Biggs (fours) led 16-4; Mike Jackson (triples) led 15-4 and in the pairs Graham Hatherall and Mark Dyer led 14-4.

Biggs and Jackson went onto to claim 25-8 and 21-14 victories respectively, however, it all went sour in the pairs.

Hatherall and Dyer collected a three on the 11th end to move 17-4 up but then dropped a four on the next and never scored again as their Wessex opponents kept the mat and bowled long jacks.

Westlecot drew a blank on ends 12-20 and trailed 17-20 down.

Then on the next and last end when holding four for victory they saw their saw hopes extinguished as the opposing skip took the jack into the ditch to seal a memorable win for the Dorset club.

Wessex move forward to the last 16 in the competition and the regional final at either Cheltenham or Oxford.

RESULTS Two Wood Singles: Ian Jefferies lost to T Smythe 7-15 (16 ends).

Four Wood Singles: Neil Smith lost to C Howard 16-21.

Pairs: Graham Hatherall & Mark Dyer lost to H Hinton 17-21.

Triples: Michael Richards, Des Rideout and Mike Jackson beat M Abrahams 21-14.

Fours: Kevin Embling, John Thomas, Jay Titcombe and Mel Biggs beat M Peters 25-8 (18 ends).

Score: Westlecot lost to Wessex 2-3.