HAMPSHIRE'S Unlikely Lads staged a tremendous performance to become fours champions of the Home Counties League at Newbury.

Their rink of Keith Brown (Havant), Russell Gadd, Neil O'Donovan (both Palmerston) and Trevor Bailey (Havant) contained only one bowler with Liberty Trophy experience - skip Bailey - yet they rose to the occasion and outgunned four counties of supposedly superior opposition.

Derek Collins, acting team manager in place of Hampshire Liberty boss Julian Haines, was thrilled by the display of the rink he had chosen himself.

"Every one of their opponents looked far stronger on paper but they blended so well as a rink and played brilliantly throughout. It was a great team effort - they did Hampshire proud - and it was just a shame there weren't more people from the county there to see it," he said.

Playing in ten-end matches on the West Berks indoor carpet, Hampshire made light work of Kent in their opening match, beating a side comprising four Liberty Trophy bowlers 12-3.

One factor of Hampshire's success was their team spirit and that was never better demonstrated than in their next game when they hit back from 8-2 down to pip Buckinghamshire 9-8.

They then brushed Middlesex aside 13-4.

In the final, they faced a Dorset quartet which included Stacey Dickinson and England trialist Adam Tidby who had reached the English Indoor BA triples final recently at Melton Mowbray.

Dorset dashed 5-0 ahead inside three ends but a six on the next end inspired Hampshire, who dominated the rest of the match to win 15-6 and collect the trophy as well as individual awards of engraved decanters.

This was the ideal finish to the Home Counties season for Hampshire.

They at least made an impact on the fours having cut little ice in the eight-rink league matches earlier in the winter, their first season in the competition.

Danny McEwan was not so successful in the singles, the Banister Park man making a first-round exit.

Collins was voted back on to the EIBA executive during the association's annual meeting at Bedworth, Warwickshire. The Victory bowler, who came up for re-election after two years' service, topped the poll for another three-year term but Hampshire IBA's immediate past president Alan Turvey (Loddon Vale) just missed out on a place in his first attempt to join the executive.

Former Football League referee Turvey will become Hampshire IBA's new secretary at the county's annual meeting on Sunday, May 19, at Atherley (9.30am).