ATHERLEY completed a hat-trick of wins in the Famous Grouse Home Nations Classic with a 9-6 (63-58) triumph over Five Rivers.

Larry Collins, Dave Edmonds, Peter Line and skip Colin Thresher topped the bill for Atherley with a 21-10 fours success away to Pete Riches. Five Rivers took the singles at Salisbury with Dennis Shipp beating David Bishop 21-9.

In Southampton, Steve Henry and Denny Graydon scored a 22-13 home win in the pairs against James White and Bill Gourlay but Five Rivers edged the triples where Pothecary, Safe and Richard Hindley outpointed John Barter, Mick Barrett and Billy Groves 14-11. Banister Park went into the latest round of matches as Group L leaders but are now third. The Eastleigh club, without a game themselves, were overtaken by East Dorset and Bournemouth. East Dorset rattled up a 15-point maximum against table-proppers Dolphin A, the score on shots being a massive 118-34 including a 21-1 singles win for Martyn Sekjer and a massive 54-4 romp for Russell Morgan in the triples. The other game in the section ended Bournemouth 11 Dolphin B 4.

Group L points: East Dorset (played 4) 46, Bournemouth (5) 39, Banister Park (3) 37, Atherley (4) 32, Five Rivers (3) 27, Dolphin B (5) 20, Dolphin A (4)9.

Next matches on Sunday, January 6, are: Atherley v Dolphin A, Banister Parkv Bournemouth, Five Rivers v East Dorset.

Atherley - beaten by King Alfred (Hove) in the London and Southern Counties Single Rink Championship the previous week - gained handsome revenge 98-75 against the Sussex side in the LSC Challenge Shield.

Trailing 48-38 at halfway the Atherley recovery was led by Groves who languished 21-1 behind at ten ends before coming to terms with the slow Hove carpet and then finally only losing 25-15. Graydon also tasted defeat 24-16.

In Southampton Atherley were the masters with Thresher finishing 33-10 ahead and Line a 34-16 winner. Victory stormed through 105-75 against Arun led by Peter Hobday who was 21-0 in front after five ends in his 38-15 home triumph against Alan Catterson. Colin Hayward (31-9) fared almost as well for Victory in Sussex while Charlie Bailey drew 22-22. Iain McKenzie went down 29-14.

Johnny Johnson Trophy: (at Atherley) Pirelli General 79 County 43. Skips' scores: (Pirelli first) D Edmonds 22 T Effeny 14; B Fawcett 27 A Wills 17; J Joslin 30 E Brown 12. Atherley 95 Esso 39. Skips' scores: (Atherley) first D Archibald 34 K Gregory 13; M Jeffery 32 B Mainwearing 13; R Wilkinson 29 J Gilbert 13.