MARTYN Sekjer has quit bowls. The man who won the 2002 national outdoor singles title as a Southampton Sports Centre member and only last month skipped for England indoors said: "I've lost my appetite for the game - I've had enough, I'm going fishing!"

The 47-year-old broke his bombshell news during the pre-season get-together of Hampshire's Middleton Cup squad at Atherley.

New county boss Rod Rosier was stunned.

"I just didn't know what to say - I was speechless," the manager admitted after being told face-to-face by Sekjer, who had been named as team captain for the 2005 campaign.

Sekjer told me: "My decision is not just for this season either. I won't say that I will never play again because never is a long time, but I have been playing for 35 years virtually without a break and, right now, I have got to the stage where the spark has gone.

"Things came to a head last week during a triples match at East Dorset. I had played seven ends and I couldn't remember a single wood I had bowled, so I just picked up my woods and walked off the green, telling my teammates they would have to carry on without me.

"At the beginning of the outdoor season last year, having been to the World Championships in Australia during the previous autumn, I felt like taking a break but the chance to play alongside Dean Morgan and Julian Haines in the county championships was too good an opportunity to miss - they didn't twist my arm to play, I just felt I wanted to but maybe on reflection I should not have done it."

Rather than telephone or write, Sekjer had the decency to go to Atherley to tell Rosier directly of his decision. Sekjer added: "I was floating on air when Rod asked me to captain the side earlier this year, especially as I have not been in Hampshire long. I know he was dumbfounded just like several others I have told."

The Sekjer shock was hardly the start Rosier wanted to his managerial life but there could be some brighter news on the horizon as former Hampshire skip Russell Morgan is said to be keen to play Middleton Cup again. Boscombe Cliff's ex-international is expected to announce his decision on his return from holiday this weekend.

Sekjer, however, will not sever all connections with the sport. He is happy to continue in his post as chairman of the England Bowls Players' Association, if re-elected by the members at their forthcoming annual meeting, and has every intention of watching Hampshire's Middleton Cup home matches.

Sekjer won the English outdoor singles crown in his first season with Sports Centre after moving from Kent. Last summer, however, he left the Southampton club to join Bournemouth and District BA champions Boscombe Cliff as he lives in Verwood and a job move took him from Southampton to Poole.

What will he do with all that spare time?

"Fishing and the family - my wife, Diane, has got a list of jobs lined up for me already!"

He might even be pressed into doing a little coaching as his nine-year-old son, Scott, recently took up bowls and was partnered by Peter Ward in the East Dorset club championships.

BANISTER Park took the Johnny Johnson Trophy with a resounding 63-33 victory against Atherley.

Trevor Comley, Malcolm Comley, Denny Murrey and Barry Bendall (23-5 against Dave Edmonds) and Derek Hall, Nat DiCristina, John Halliday and Steve Rice (28-7 against Ray Wilkinson) put Banister Park firmly in control.

Their performances easily outweighed the 21-12 defeat suffered by Ken Prior, Vic Winterbottom, Brian Barber and Steve Whitehead against Billy Groves in this indoor knock-out competition for outdoor clubs staged throughout the winter at Atherley.

Pete Hammond and Mark Hammond - beaten in the Hampshire pairs final - made no mistake in the Banister Park club final when defeating Dave Moore and Andy Anderson 25-18.

In the fours Ken Prior, Derek Clare, Stuart Martin and Derek Walker pipped Michael Comley, Ray Cartwright, Keith Bridgeman and Malcolm Comley 22-21 while Ralph Baker, Bob Fawcett and John Joslin swamped John Nix, Nat DiCristina and Barry Bendall 28-3 for the two-wood triples crown.

The mixed pairs was another close affair with Janet and Steve Whitehead shading Val Dibben and Barry Bendall 17-16. The Whiteheads also took the mixed fours alongside Keith Bridgeman and Jackie Comley (sub for Wendy Berry) - they overcame Di Chilcott, Helen Corben, Bob Fawcett and Stuart Martin 20-14.

The veterans' singles went to Ken Foulkes (21-19 against John Joslin) and the under-25 singles saw Chris Prior beat Michael Comley 2-1 on sets (5-4,1-8,7-6).

For the ladies, Chris Hall became singles champion 21-11 against Pat Weeks, Joan Ryan and Yvonne Bott beat Eileen Scovell and Hazel Schwodler 26-14 in the pairs and Bott teamed up with June Coulson and June Tonge to land the triples 21-18 against Chris Hall, Jill Dando and Margaret Darkin.

The men's club Championship between Brian Dibdin and Mark Hammond and the triples final are this weekend, both matches being put back because of a clash with the English Indoor BA finals.