WORLD number four Mark Royal won the Westlecot Open Singles Tournament sponsored by Dexion last weekend.

The 37-year-old Stowmarket-based player beat Guildford’s James Shillingford (Wey Valley) 2-0 (6-4, 6-5) in a closely contested final to scoop the £1,000 winners’ cheque.

England international Royal, who was the pre-tournament favourite, was pushed all the way by a gallant Shillingford before claiming the top prize.

He had to come from behind after trailing 4-2 at four ends to take the next three ends and win the first set 6-4.

In the second set Royal led 3-2 after three ends before a single and a two put him 6-2 ahead, but his gutsy opponent Shillingford rallied to win the next two but fell short by a shot losing the set 6-5.

But the Surrey bowler, who had to battle hard over the two day tournament to reach the final negotiating no fewer than three tie breakers, had the consolation of taking the £400 runners-up prize.

On route to the final Royal beat last year’s beaten finalist Andy Moore (Christie Miller) in the first round and was pushed hard to beat former Highworth and Westlecot player Neil Hope, now representing Leicester, 2-1 in an extremely tough third round tie.

Then in the last eight Royal accounted for last year’s winner of the Dexion Westlecot Open, Torquay’s Danny Denison 2-0.

Losing finalist Shillingford, needed tie breakers to overcome Ian Jefferies (Westlecot) in round two, former ladies world matchplay champion Debbie Stavrou in the third round, and Nick Holliday (Cotswold) in the quarter-finals.

Wiltshire players all missed out in the Westlecot Open prize money - none of them managing to book a place in the quarter-finals.

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

  • WESTLECOT’S mixed team failed in their bid to win only the club’s second national indoor team title last weekend in Torquay.

They were knocked-out in the quarter-finals of the THL National Top Club Championship losing to Norfolk by 12pts-4.

Norfolk fell in the semi-finals to a very powerful Torquay United side containing several internationals who went on to lift the crown when defeating Barwell (Leics) comfortably in the final.

Westlecot’s only other team success since the indoor section opened 29 years ago was in the 2002/03 season when the ladies were victorious in the Mason Trophy - Over 60s Double Rinks - when easily defeating Cheshunt in the final.

And their hopes of doubling their lone team success were quickly ended in their Top Club last eight match against Norfolk.

Westlecot only managed to win one of their five games against their East Anglian opponents when Ellen Bolland and Ian Jefferies recorded a resounding victory in the mixed pairs to net four points.

But Westlecot lost both two-wood matches as well as the mixed triples and mixed fours.

  • THE Climax to the 2011/12 indoor season sees the final block of the National Championships being staged over the next nine days in Nottingham.

Westlecot’s hopes of a national title lie in two pairs events where Sylvia Wells and Wendy Anderson compete in the Ladies Over 60s Pairs Championship, while Kevin Embling and Ian Jefferies bid for success in the men’s pairs.

Wells and Anderson had a comfortable ride through to the Area 10 final in the Over 60s pairs before hammering Ann Leach and her partner from MidGlos 21-6.

They followed this up with an 18-12 victory in the inter-area final over a Bromsgrove pairing to book their place in Nottingham.

The duo are through to the last 16 in the senior pairs competition next Wednesday, April 4 (1.30pm) and will play Bridget Collins and April Janman (Arun, Bognor Regis).

If victorious Wells and Anderson will then face either Desborough (Maidenhead) or Bournemouth the next day at 9am.

Embling and Jefferies enjoyed comfortable wins in the Area 10 section of the men’s pairs over Cotswold’s Joe Browning (21-14), Carterton’s Andy Wise (20-9), club mate John Anderson (21-10) and then another Cotswold pairing skipped by Dave Howes 22-15.

However, Embling and Jefferies were pushed to the limit in the Area 10 final coming from behind to beat the Malvern Hills father and son partnership of Mark and Ryan Atkins 20-19, clinching victory on the last end with a single.

This booked the Westlecot duos’ place in Nottingham in the last 32 of the national pairs competition.

They have been drawn against Folkstone’s Steve Wells and Colin Elson and will play them next Thursday, April 5 (1.30pm).

If the pair are successful they will face either Blackpool Newton Hall or Clarrie Dunbar (Frome) the following day at 6pm.