STEVE HENDRY and Denny Graydon had a battle royal in the national pairs championship with Atherley clubmates Colin Thresher and Richard Shelley.

Having been 7-3 up following the fifth end, Graydon trailed 12-8 at 10 and 14-12 after 15 but crept 17-14 ahead on the 17th end only for Shelley to respond with a four on the 18th to lead 18-17. However, Graydon hit back with three singles to snatch a 20-18 triumph.

Riverside duo Luke Young and Simon Doig swept past Brian Coen and Keith Pearson (Atherley) 27-8 and Young also accounted for Martin Wise (Atherley) 21-6 in the Under-25 singles.

Peter Ward - national singles quarter-finalist last season - continued on the road to Melton Mowbray this winter with a comfortable 21-6 victory over Terry Warnes (Bournemouth).

Ward and his Atherley partners Keith Cole and Steve Spreadbury moved on in the triples with two convincing results - 20-12 against John Kingdon, Alec McKenzie and Mark Tomberry (Dolphin) and 28-10 against the fellow Atherley trio of Pete Grange, Alan Bergg and Gwyn Guy while Vic Winterbottom, Barry Bendall and Danny McEwan (Banister Park) ousted John Fythyan, John Keenan and Frank Hooper (Atherley) 16-10.

David Cole, Andy Ross and Graham Standley (Longmeadow) inched John Barter Brian Buckle and Billy Groves (Atherley) out of the triples 18-17 and those same three Atherley bowlers, with Mick Spreadbury, suffered a 20-15 fours defeat against Dorset Liberty Trophy skip Doug Rumble (Dolphin).

Bill Ward from East Dorset progressed 21-17 against Richard Shelley in the singles and, in the over-50s triples, Barter, Dave Archibald and Peter Line disposed of Peter Rathband, Hooper and Dink Mintrum 24-19 in an all-Atherley clash.

Johnny Johnson Trophy: (at Atherley)

Aerostructures 71 Romsey 46. Skips' scores: (Aero first) I Stubbington 24 A Brightmore 16; K Turner 26 N Scovell 15; C Simmonds 21 I Davies 15.

Hedge End 84 BTC 50. Skips' scores: (Hedge End first) M Nash 26 H Calais 19; T Stockwell 37 M Andrews 14; P Emery 21 P Stoneham 17.