HAMPSHIRE'S dream of a second successive appearance in the Johns Trophy final is over.

They bowed out of the women's inter-county championship in a shock 119-106 defeat by Gloucestershire - a side they had beaten by 27 shots in the first round last summer.

Hampshire - fielding an unchanged team after swamping Wiltshire by 35 shots in the first round - were up and running quickly, building an eight-shot lead after two ends.

By the fifth end the margin had shrunk to 25-21 and, by the tenth, Hampshire were just 55-54 up.

Although the match was delicately poised, Hampshire were only in front because of a magnificent score of 23-2 accumulated by Margaret Holden's rink. But the Alton Social skip could not sustain the entire team effort and, though her fellow rinks were fighting hard, they found the heavy green difficult to contend with.

The outcome was that Gloucestershire swept 91-78 ahead by the 15th end and Hampshire were unable to peg them back, Holden remaining their solitary winning skip. Scores:

Jean Arnaud (Atherley), Anne Pearce (Atherley), Brenda Plumpton (Fleet United), Wendy Line (Atherley) 13 Tilly Pearson 21;

Stella Waller (Fleet United), Sue Sharpe (Cove), Ann Broadhurst (Lee-on-the-Solent), Joan Hennessy (Alton Social) 15 Joy Sheward 17;

Elizabeth Messer (Southbourne), Julie Saunders (Richmond Park), Kay Kerley (Oakley), Gill Mitchell (Richmond Park) 16 Maryan Pye 20;

Mary Taylor, Maggie Playle (both Oakley), Linda Johnson (Richmond Park), Margaret Darkin (Banister Park) 16 Pat Stiley 22;

Sandy Pullin (Fareham), Sandy Moyse (Crofton), Rosemary Corney (Whitchurch), Margaret Holden (Alton Social) 32 Angela Wildsmith 17;

Pam Lambshead (Cowplain), Rosemary Bailey (Fareham), Allyson Flint (Cove), Jennie Cole (Fleet United) 14 Cynthia Winter-Alsop 22.