WILTSHIRE players failed to impress last weekend in the highly competitive second Dexion Westlecot Open, writes DAVE EATON.

They all missed out on gaining a quarter-final place in the indoor competition that was eventually won by World No.4 Mark Royal.

Andy Moore (Christie Miller) and Wayne Snook (North Wilts) were both given tough first round draws and made swift exits from the two-day tournament.

Last year’s beaten finalist Moore put up a strong fight but went out in the first round losing 1.05-0.5 (10-5, 5-5) to pre-tournament favourite Royal.

Snook had an equally difficult first round tie drawing last year’s winner of the £1,000 top prize, Torquay’s Danny Denison who beat him 2-0 (9-2,8-5).

There were also first round defeats for Trowbridge’s Graham Shadwell who lost 2-1 on a tie breaker to Adur’s Scott Edwards (3-8, 8-1, 1-2), Dave Snell, Neil Smith, David Leighfield and Nick Revell and second round losses for Mel Biggs, Ian Jefferies, Tom Warner, Jordan Moody, Paul Kistle and Tom Pittuck.

Host club Westlecot’s Michael Titcombe Jnr and John Anderson made the most progress of Wiltshire bowlers but both came unstuck in the third round (last 16).

The former lost to England international Ian Honnor 2-0 (2-6, 5-8) while Anderson lost on a tie breaker 2-1 to Arthur Thompson (Radnorshire) 7-6, 2-7, 1-2.

Stowmarket-based Royal, the reigning Welsh Open Champion and 2012 EIBA Champion of Champions winner defeated James Shillingford (Wey Valley, Guildford) in the Dexion Westlecot Open final 2-0 (6-4, 6-5) to lift the £1,000 top prize.

On route to the final Royal was pushed hard to beat ex-Highworth and ex-Westlecot player Neil Hope 2-1 (9-2, 3-7, 2-1) in a tough third round tie and then in the quarter-finals accounted for last year’s winner Danny Denison 2-0 (7-5, 6-1).

Losing finalist Shillingford, who had the consolation of winning £400, had to battle hard to reach the final needing tie breakers to overcome Ian Jefferies in round two 6-4, 4-5, 2-1, former ladies world matchplay champion Debbie Stavrou 4-9, 10-3, 2-0 (round 3) and Nick Holliday (Cotswold) in the quarter-finals 4-6, 7-3, 2-1.

THE CLIMAX to the 2011/12 indoor season sees the final block of the National Championships being staged over the coming fortnight in Nottingham.

North Wilts hopes of a national title lie with Kath Lloyd and Carol Grenfell in the Over 60s Pairs which start next Wednesday, April 4.

They are through to the last 16 and face Margaret Dark and Gloria Haney (Spalding) at 1.30pm. If successful they would then face either Beccles or York in the quarter-finals the next day (9am).

Janet Hardie partnered Grenfell originally in the O60s pairs competition in wins over Clarrie Dunbar (20-7), Thornbury (26-8 and 20-13). But then owing to illness Lloyd came in as a substitute.

Lloyd and Grenfell beat Clevedon 27-10 in the Area 30 final and then Taunton Deane 23-19 in the inter-area final to clinch a place in the last 16 at Nottingham.

On the men’s side of the national championships Trowbridge’s Graham Shadwell (Clarrie Dunbar) plays in the latter stages of the national singles this Thursday to Saturday and in the pairs with Craig Doughty from next Thursday, April 5.

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