HAMPSHIRE'S interest in the Greengauge English Indoor BA pairs championship ended in the quarter-finals yesterday with the double defeat of Atherley and Victory at Melton Mowbray.

After a confidence-boosting 24-23 first-round triumph against Luke Hardware and Robert Paxton of Exonia, Atherley's Colin Thresher and Richard Shelley swept past Mace Andrews and Derek Johnson (Lincoln) 22-9.

However, their luck ran out in the last eight where they trailed just 12-7 after 10 ends but then dropped six shots over the next two ends in a 22-9 defeat against Stuart Thomas and former national singles king Les Gillett of host club Melton.

Matthew Marchant and Peter Hobday of Victory romped through their first two rounds 26-8 against Cumbria and 25-9 against Bridgwater BCL before going out 24-19 to Brett Arkley and Alan Theobald from Stanley, Durham.

Hampshire's other representatives, Terry James and Mel Sallis of Chawton Park, suffered a 23-7 second-round exit against Swindon Westlecot.