WESTLECOT’S hopes of landing a national title were ended last week in the final block of the national indoor championships being staged in Nottingham, writes DAVE EATON.

Both of their duos competing in pairs championships events were defeated within the space of 24 hours.

Sylvia Wells and Wendy Anderson were knocked-out in the last 16 of the Ladies over 60s pairs when going down 23-12 to Bridget Collins and April Janman (Arun, Bognor Regis, Sussex).

And then on Thursday afternoon Kevin Embling and Ian Jefferies were beaten 17-24 by Steve Wells and Colin Elson (Folkstone, Kent) in the last 32 of the men’s national pairs championship.

Wells and Anderson made a slow start in their match against Arun and trailed 9-3 at five ends. However, they rallied in the next five to cut the gap to only 11-9 at 10.

But they were always playing catch-up, trying to force the game and dropping shots to trail 17-11 at 15 ends and 21-12 at 18.

Wells and Anderson finally conceded on the 20th end as they were 11 shots down and trailing 23-12.

Twenty-four hours later Embling and Jefferies saw their hopes in their last 32 pairs championship match against Area 24 winners Folkstone dashed on the 20th end despite leading for three-quarters of their game.

They led 6-5 at five ends and had extended that advantage to 11-7 at 10 and moved 14-11 clear at 14.

But they then dropped a four on the 15th to trail 14-15 and were still a shot adrift after 18 ends at 16-17.

But a single on the 19th brought the scores level at 17-17 to set up a grandstand finish but then it all went horribly wrong for the vastly experienced Westlecot duo as they dropped a seven on the next end and conceded the match 17-24.

The national indoor championships end this weekend in Nottingham with the finals of the Atherley and Liberty trophies, ladies and men’s inter-county team championships.

  • JOE Mazzotta was the only player who managed to win more than one competition in the recently held Westlecot indoor club championships.

Seven separate events were contested but it was only Mazzotta who completed a double with victories in the men’s triples and over 60s pairs. There were family doubles for Neil and Lucy Smith, and Michael Titcombe senior and junior.

Neil Smith took the men’s singles defeating Ian Jefferies 21-9 in the final, while Smith’s teenage daughter, Lucy, lifted the ladies trophy with a 21-15 victory over Linda Perfitt in the ladies final.

And Michael Titcombe Jnr won the Under 25 singles while his father was a member of the winning men’s triples team.