MARK Hammond is having the time of his life this season. The Banister Park bowler has qualified for the national stages of one English Indoor BA championship - and has two more in his sights.

The 21-year-old, pictured above, is already through to the last 16 of the Warner Breaks Champion of Champions singles at Hayling Island next month and is within touching distance of the EIBA play-offs for the pairs and fours at Melton Mowbray after reaching the area finals.

Hammond, who has also established himself in the Hampshire Liberty Trophy team this winter, beat county colleague Russell Gadd in the section final of the regional Champion of Champions qualifier at Loddon Vale.

Hammond performed miracles to get that far as he trailed 10-0 to Paul Cater (Jack Hi, Middlesex) until storming through his quarter-final 21-16. In the semi-final, Hammond led 11-7 before his Middlexex opponent Robert Kinley pulled out as he was feeling unwell.

Although Hammond began the final with a full house, Gadd fought back and it was nip and tuck until Hammond eased clear 21-16. Gadd opened with a 21-12 result against John Geeves (Hounslow) and then polished off Neville Utton (Uxbridge) 21-18. Atherley's Dave Bishop was a first-round casualty, losing 21-17 to Kinley.

The other section was also a Hampshire triumph as Adam Tidby qualified, the East Dorset international hammering Barry Harman (Havant) 21-2 on the way.

Hammond has the first of his area finals at Victory on Saturday, February 26, at 5.50 when he lines up alongside Cliff Higgins for the pairs against Dean Morgan and Bill Ward of East Dorset. In the semi-finals Higgins and Hammond beat club colleagues Gary Squires and Barry Bendall 21-14 while East Dorset overcame Keith Cole and Graham Standley (Longmeadow) 27-17.

On the same evening at Victory is an intriguing singles' shoot-out between Tidby and his fellow Hampshire skip and East Dorset clubmate Peter Ward. Tidby got there by defeating Standley 21-11 while former Atherley star Ward was halting Bournemouth's Clive Bunford 21-7.

Higgins and Hammond join forces with Andy Anderson at three and skip Paul May for the fours' final against Morgan, Alan Geary, Tidby and Martyn Sekjer at Atherley on Monday, February 28 (6.15).

It was May-hem in the semi-final with May & Co obliterating clubmates Squires, Brian Dibdin, Steve Dowdell and Bendall 35-4, with Sekjer easing past Standley's rink at Longmeadow 22-11.

The triples (Victory, February 27, 5.50) is an all-East Dorset affair with Chris Martin, Alan Geary and Bill Belcher against Ian Rawlinson, Bill Ward and Julian Haines.

Besides his progress at Liberty level and in the nationals, Hammond has reached the finals of his club singles, pairs and triples and will therefore be one of the Banister Park representatives in the Hampshire championships.