DORCHESTER opened their season in fine style as they swamped North Somerset Denny Cup opponents Watchet without the need for the fourth rink to take to the green.

Watchet, having only a single rink to use, sent their two away rinks to Dorchester in the morning, while entertaining one Dorchester rink at home. The second travelling Dorchester squad were due to complete the fixture in the afternoon.

Kevin Holbrook, George Aslett, Gareth Thomas and skip George Spracklen set the pace by taking a first end score of five shots against the Watchet rink skipped by Ian Trunks .This was followed a six shot count on the third end and the writing seemed on the wall at this early stage.

Although Watchet made a mini recovery by winning four ends in a mid-game spell, Spracklen collected another six shot haul in response, and finished the game by winning the last seven ends without dropping any further shots to storm home by 39 shots to 13.

The home Dorchester quartet of Brian Paulson, teenager Jamie Roe, Roger Nicholas and Darren Nutman were also determined to turn on the style themselves. Nutman and co racked up a 20-6 midway lead against their Watchet opponents, skipped by Luke Townsend, and headed for a seemingly top rink performance by also winning their last seven ends to post a 36-7 winning score.

Meanwhile the travelling Dorchester foursome of Steve Willsher, Terry Greenman, Dave Joslin and Colin Gifford took on the home Watchet quartet.

Ron Rendell scored a single for Watchet on the first two ends before the Dorchester players settled to lead 11-6.

A maximum hot shot score of eight then put Dorchester firmly in the driving seat, and although the game plan was to keep the away scores close, Gifford and his teammates joined in the party and romped home with a match top score of 39 shots to eight.

With three rinks completed and the County Town shot advantage totaling 86, the afternoon Dorchester rink arrived at Watchet to discover that the match had been already been conceded.

Following a brief stop for refreshment, John Lawlor, John Hill, Mike Durant, and Ged Costello returned for home to complete a 120-mile car journey without delivering a bowl.

Dorchester now expects a sterner challenge in the next round of the Denny Cup, when they go head to head with Ilminster Indoor Bowls Club, who put out Taunton 97-55.