WESTLECOT men bounced back from their first-ever defeat to Loddon Vale in the Wessex League with a comprehensive 106-69 win over Oxford City and County last weekend.

They took honours on three of the four rinks to collect 14 points out of a possible 16 and move up to third in the east region table.

However, the match was not as clear-cut as the overall result would suggest as across the board Westlecot trailed 26-19 at five ends and 46-40 at 10, and only led 66-60 at 15.

But in the last six ends on all four rinks Westlecot moved up through the gears, scoring 40 shots and only conceding nine to power away to victory.

The foundations for the success were laid at home at Westlecot where Hedley Bowen’s quartet scored 13 shots in the last six ends and only dropped three to win by 16.

Meanwhile, Tom Pittuck’s four scored 10 shots but did not concede any for an 18-shot win.

Away in Summertown, Oxford, Westlecot’s two rinks did a fine job keeping matters tight to ensure an overall success.

Kyle Anderson’s rink was 15-7 down at 10 ends but hit back for a 26-21 win while James Nobbs’ rink were 15-8 down at 10 but only lost 22-20.

Westlecot do not have another Wessex group match until the new year when they face Reading side Rivermead on January 5.

  • MIDGLOS Indoor Bowls Club, based on the outskirts of Gloucester, have once again proved Westlecot’s nemesis in national inter-club championship matches this season.

The ladies lost both of their national team matches to the Brockworth side, going down 76-59 in the four-rink Yetton Trophy tie and being defeated 44-35 in the Mason Trophy, the over 60s double-rink competition.

But the ladies have a second chance in the Yetton and have drawn a bye in the first round of the consolation Yetton Plate.

Westlecot men were also beaten by MidGlos in the Denny Cup, the four-rink national inter-club championship, as they lost 78-68 and now move into the Denny Plate and face Thornbury next Saturday in round one.

But the senior men claimed a consolation victory as they won their over 60s national double rinks game, edging out MidGlos 38-34.

Westlecot men led MidGlos across the board early on in their Denny Cup game, leading 24-15 at five ends and drawing 36-36 at 10.

But then the Brockworth-based club edged away to a 10-shot victory with Westlecot only drawing on one rink and losing on the other three.

In sharp contrast, Westlecot led all the way across the board in the men’s over 60s double-rinks nationals match.

Things were tight early on with Westlecot only 18-17 up at 10 ends but they had moved 29-23 clear at 15 and maintained their four-shot advantage at 18 ends to win 38-34.

  • TOMORROW Westlecot mixed team meet Carterton in the second round of the Egham Trophy, the national mixed inter-club championship.

They make several changes to the side that beat Gloucester in the opening round as none of the Smith family - Neil and daughters Lucy and Katy - are available to play as they are in Scotland.

Neil is competing in the opening round of the World Bowls Tour Scottish International Open at the Dewar Centre in Perth, and faces Devon’s Robert Paxton, ranked 10 in the world, in a first-round match tomorrow morning.

Also missing from the victorious team over Gloucester are Dave Snell and Denis Holborow. Replacing these two and the Smith family are Sylvia Wells, Mike Titcombe, Linda Perfitt, Jenny Vowles, and John Anderson. Only one rink is unchanged that skipped by Chris Cheesley.

  • ELEVEN Westlecot players have been selected to play for Wiltshire men in a first-round Liberty Trophy tie on Saturday, November 23 against Gloucestershire at MidGlos.

They are: Mike Titcombe, James Nobbs, Steve Remington, Neil Smith (team manager), Kyle Anderson, Paul Kistle, Denis Holborow, Kevin Embling, Ian Jefferies, Josh Cottle and Dave Snell.
Westlecot’s Tom Pittuck is named at reserve.

In sharp contrast to the men, only Westlecot ladies Jenny Vowles and Wendy Anderson are named in the Wiltshire women’s team to face Oxfordshire next Sunday, November 17 at Oxford City and County in an Atherley Trophy first-round tie.