WESTLECOT produced an awesome performance in the opening round of the Wessex League play-offs.

They only qualified for the last 16 and play-offs as a wild card entrant but demolished former winners Bristol, the Central Region champions, by a massive 40 shots in the first round last weekend.

The match did not go the full distance with Bristol conceding when 86-46 down although there were still 10 ends still to play.

Westlecot made a flying start and led 31-11 across the board after five ends and it was virtually one-way traffic onwards.

At home at Westlecot the rink with Tom Walkley and Dave Snell at the back end, who were due to play their Area 16 final in the national pairs that evening, blazed a trail for overall victory.

They were 15-2 up at five ends and 24-8 ahead at 11. They continued to pile up the shots and when a halt was called, they led 36-9.

The unchanged Ian Jefferies rink which had produced big wins in recent weeks only led 11-7 at 10 ends but then edged away for an 11 shot success when Bristol conceded after 19 ends.

Gary Morphet, back skipping again, led his away quartet in Bristol to an impressive ten shots success.

They settled quickly on the slow green to lead 9-4 and 14-7 at five and 10 ends respectively and went on to a 22-12 win at 18 ends.

The only reverse came on the rink alongside Morphet where Neil Smith was engaged in a tight, low-scoring affair.

He was 3-2 down at five ends but was tied 5-5 at 10. However, he never scored on the next five and was 14-5 down at 15 ends and finally lost 15-7.

However, with only overall match scores counting in the play-offs, Westlecot marched forward into the quarter-finals.

They will now face Cotswold, who blitzed Dorchester 97-46, on Sunday, March 14 in the quarter-finals.

RESULTS Home Rink 1: Josh Cottle, Tony Rivers, Tom Walkley and Dave Snell beat Terry Barnes 36-9 (19 ends only).

Rink 2: Kyle Anderson, Josh Fail, Kevin Embling and Ian Jefferies beat Steve Wiltshire 21-10 (19 ends).

Away Rink 5: Paul Kistle, John Anderson, Jeff Nichols and Gary Morphet beat Neil Yeoman 22-12 (18 ends).

Rink 6: Mike Hall, Rod Holborow, Dave Vowles and Neil Smith lost to C Keating 7-15 (18 ends).

Overall score: Westlecot beat Bristol 86-46.

1st ROUND PLAY-OFF RESULTS Plymouth (Winner West) 77 Dolphin (W/Card) 79; Church Gresley (R-Up Midlands) 70 West Berks (R-Up East) 86; Cotswold (Winner North) 97 Dorchester (R-Up Coastal) 46; BRISTOL (Winner Central) 46 WESTLECOT (W/CARD) 86; Carterton (Winner East) 55 Clarrie Dunbar (R-Up Central) 85; Solihull (Winner Midlands) 82 Gloucester (W/Card) 79; Exonia (R-Up West) 90 Malvern (R-Up North) 69; Moonfleet (Winner Coastal) 98 North Wilts (W/Card) 47.

Quarter Finals Sunday March 14 Dolphin v West Berks; COTSWOLD v WESTLECOT (10am); Clarrie Dunbar v Solihull; Exonia v Moonfleet.