Westlecot players face hectic time in nationals (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Westlecot players face hectic time in nationals

THE NEXT six days are an important time for Westlecot Indoor Bowls Club on the national front, with several of their players facing a hectic schedule.

The local club have bowlers competing in four events Over 60s Pairs, Mixed Fours, Over 50s Triples and Egham Trophy.

Nottingham IBC is the venue for the final stages of the first three competitions, while Westlecot have reached the quarter-finals in the Egham Trophy, the national mixed inter-club championship.

After overcoming Avon Valley by only one shot, Westlecot then hammered Jack Hi (Hayes, Middx) 98-68 in the next round to reach the last eight.

Tomorrow they bid for an Egham semi-final place when they meet their old adversaries, Whiteknights (Reading).

The Westlecot team shows two changes from the one that beat Jack Hi with Ian Jefferies and Val Mortimer replacing the unavailable David Vowles and Mary Moss.

Team

Home: Rink 1: Wendy Anderson, Jenny Vowles, Neil Hope and Mel Biggs; Rink 2: Kevin Embling, Josie Lloyd, Doris Woodley and Mark Dyer.

Away: Rink 1: Maureen Rogers, Val Mortimer, Ian Jefferies and Dave Snell. Rink 2: Jean Bird, Joyce Laming, Hedley Bowen and Neil Smith.

SEVERAL of the 2003/04 national indoor championships finals are being decided in Nottingham over the next week.

Today, Westlecot's David Vowles and Howard Pryse, who won the Area 16 final with a 20-10 win over Nailsea, begin their bid for glory in the last stages of the Over 60s Pairs Championship when they meet Eastbourne in the last 32.

On Monday, after featuring in the Egham Trophy, the quartet of Jean Bird, Joyce Laming, Kevin Embling and Dave Snell, set out on the trail which they hope leads to glory in the National Mixed Fours.

The Area 16 champions, after a comfortable 25-10 victory over Nick Grenfell's mixed rink from North Wilts, face Tye Green (Harlow, Essex) in the last 32.

Embling also features in the last stages of another final in Nottingham.

He has qualified with Westlecot teammates Tony Stevenson and Martin Hope in the Over 50s Triples.

Unlike the other two combinations from Westlecot, they had a hard battle to win their area final, only overcoming fellow Westlecot trio Bob Scammell, Dave Lawrence and David Murley 17-16, sealing victory on the 18th and last end.

Embling and his two partners open their bid for glory in Nottingham on Wednesday in the last 32 of the Over 50s Triples when they face Caradon (Cornwall).