AFTER the first-week euphoria, Hampshire sunk to the other extreme with the ladies crashing out of the Johns Trophy and the men’s Middleton Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

At Atherley, the men seized immediate control, racing 41-20 ahead at five ends, writes DAVID BRIERS.

But they failed to build on this exhilarating start and by halfway they had fallen behind as Middlesex hit back for a 111-109 (18-4) victory to become surprise leaders of the group.

Hampshire boss Derek Collins was understandably crestfallen, as were his players – though he pointed out that when his men reached Worthing for the semi-finals in 2009 they lost their opening group fixture.

This means that Hampshire must win their final two matches - beginning with a toughie against Kent at Canterbury tomorrow. Kent may not be so formidable on their own patch because last weekend they only overcame their Isle of Wight visitors 16-6 and by seven shots. Hampshire finish at home to Oxfordshire on June 22.

Perfect A six and a four - the latter following a perfect Matthew Marchant take-out - sent Marchant's rink 12-1 in front by the fifth end in that encouraging Hampshire start.

With four other home rinks up as well and Chris Daniels level on 3-3 the picture was rosy, but Middlesex, whose late arrivals delayed the start, soon found the form that overcame Oxfordshire the previous week.

By the 10th end just Marchant (16-4) and Leo May (8-7) held leads as Middlesex edged it 54-53 but following the 15th Hampshire had nosed 80-74 up with Marchant and May still the only home rinks in the black.

The match result was too tight to call but gradually the pendulum swung back to Middlesex with Richard Shelley not scoring between his 15th and 20th ends, May remaining stationary from end 15 to 20 and even Marchant being pegged back from 18-6 at 12 ends to 20-13 after the 18th.

Hampshire were always playing catch up in the closing stages albeit by a slender margin and when Daniels scored a single on his last end the overall deficit was down to 110-108 with two ends remaining. But Jim Marsland - playing the final ends of the day - could not bridge the gap. He dropped a single on the 20th but never looked like salvaging a draw or better on his 21st.