ANNE PEARCE was crowned Hampshire singles champion after dominating the final at Banister Park.

The Atherley bowler - a lighthearted character off the green - stays fully focused on it - and she was 9-1 up almost before opponent Linda Johnson of Richmond Park could blink.

Pearce maintained the pressure with consistent line and weight to such an extent that the match as a contest was as good as over when she led 13-4.

The Hampshire double rink player sealed victory at 21-6 to complete a rare double as she holds the county indoor singles title as well.

Pearce overcame Kath Etherton (Lee-on-the-Solent) 21-13 in the quarter-finals before gaining a 21-18 semi-final success having built a 17-6 lead against Margaret Hankin (Fleet Social).

Both finalists in the major Hampshire competitions go to next month's national championships - and accompanying Pearce on the road to Leamington Spa is her club colleague and pairs partner Wendy Line.

Line's record in national championships (outdoors and indoors) is legendary and she will have the two-woods as her target after battling through to the county final by wiping out a 12-6 deficit to topple Jennie Cole (Fleet United) 15-14 with a last-end double in a semi-final thriller.

Line heads to Warwickshire as Hampshire runner-up after losing the final to Judith Edwards.

As in the four-woods, it was a case of one bowler clicking straight into gear and building a healthy lead as Edwards was 10-1 up at nine ends with her Atherley opponent finding more than her share of gaps.

The Hayling Island member continued piling up the shots to clinch the title at 15-6 after 17 ends.

Pearce also has her sights set on the national over-55s crown. After beating Marianne Wheatley (Herefordshire) 21-10 in the regional preliminary round at Wroughton, near Swindon, she now faces a mighty hurdle against Sue Harriott - the Devon skip who won the 2002 British Isles title - at Dorchester on Saturday.

Minus skip Midge Pitter, who was on holiday, Banister Park lost the fours final 24-18 to Cove quartet Frankie Brandon, Irene Galpin, Sue Sharpe and Allyson Flint.

Margaret Darkin, who skipped in the Johns Trophy this year, moved up to skip with Carol Burrow (subbing for Pitter) alongside Joan Ryan (lead) and Pam Thompson (two).

After conceding a six on the fourth, Banister Park trailed 8-5 on five ends but struck back to lead 14-11 at ten ends. Cove regained a narrow advantage and the margin was only 20-18 until Flint landed a vital three on the 20th and recorded a final-end single.

The result achieved an excellent double for Sharpe and Flint who had earlier carried off the pairs 21-17 against Kath Jasper and Judy Brown (Fleet Social).

Tightest final was the triples in which the Fleet United trio Stella Waller, Margaret Hughes and Ros Plunkett lead 10-0 but pegged back to 16-16 before notching the extra-end single to pip Julie Saunders, Carol Ashby and Gill Mitchell of Richmond Park.