WESTLECOT'S hopes of a second success at Worthing in the National Pairs Championships are over for another year after Mel Biggs and Mark Dyer were eliminated in the third round of the competition.

Biggs, a winner of the pairs title in 1995 with Steve Warren, and a member of Westlecot's 1997 Fours Championship winning side with Dyer, were beaten 21-16 by Cornwall representatives Ian Powell and Ian Ball from Stenalees.

They trailed 12-2 at one stage but fought back to reduce the gap to only 15-13.

But the Cornish duo held firm to finally run out 21-16 winners.

In the opening two rounds Biggs and Dyer had accounted for Roxeth (Middlesex) 22-17 and Belgrave (Leicestershire) 27-19.

Wiltshire's other representatives in the pairs competition, Spencer Moulton's Paul MacDonald and England international Graham Shadwell reached the semi-finals.

In their opening two matches they convincingly beat Falcon (Essex) 27-19 and followed it up with a 28-20 victory over Tunbridge Wells (Kent).

Then in round three they won by 11 shots beating Tony King and David Colbourne (Manchester Commonwealth) 23-12 to set-up a quarter-final clash with Cornwall's other representatives David Perrin and William Lawer from Carnon Downs.

But unlike Westlecot the duo of Macdonald and Shadwell overcame the other Cornwall pairing.

In a rain delayed match they enjoyed a comfortable 28-17 victory but then went out 21-18 to Norfolk's Downham Ex-Servicemen in the semi-finals.

n PURTON'S brave bid in the Women's Top Club competition ended in Somerset.

The reigning Wiltshire champions after defeating Box in the county final they then beat Isle of Wight in the next round but in the last 16 they met their match against Crediton on the neutral green at Clevedon.

Purton lost on all four rinks and went down 4-0 and captain Brenda Cars said: "It was disappointing to lose on all four greens.

"They are a good side and deserved to win on the day. But the team can be proud of their performances and to reach this far in the competition."

RESULTS

Singles: Jean Bird lost 17-21.

Pairs: Jeanette Howells & Carol Bartlett lost 17-25.

Triples: Miriam Saunders, Brenda Cars and Pat Stephenson lost 9-21.

Fours: Sue Williams, Dorothy Paish, Barbara Woolford and Jean Comley lost 15-23.