HAMPSHIRE are through to Worthing following a breathtaking performance in the regional finals of the Balcomb Trophy at the Halls club, Kent.

Their display in the Bowls England double-rink championship had county boss Derek Collins in raptures as Hampshire thrashed Middlesex 50-28 in the semi-final and then handed Kent a 47-28 defeat to reach the national semi-finals at the mecca of men’s bowls in August.

John Leggett, Tony Nixon, John Biggs and Sports Centre skip Peter Ward taunted the Middlesex rink of Barry Jenkins 33-9 in the morning with Kevin Downs, David Payne, Michael Hutley and Chris Daniels being shaded 19-17 alongside.

Ward’s men continued in the same exciting vein during the afternoon with a 28-11 dazzler against former national champion Gordon Charlton. They were backed by a 19-17 card from Daniels.

Collins said: “It was a great day. We only played 18 ends in each game because we were so far in front – Kent even wanted to pack up after 15.

“Peter Ward’s rink were brilliant – I have never seen four players bowl so well as they did. Gordon Charlton admitted he couldn’t do anything about it – and earlier when they annihilated Middlesex I even felt sorry for Barry Jenkins.”

This is the first time Hampshire have qualified for Worthing in the Balcomb Trophy, a relatively new competition on the BE calendar.

Their semi-final opponents on Sunday, August 18, at 9.30am will be Devon with Derbyshire facing Essex in the other tie. The winners meet in the final at 2pm that same day in this Worthing swansong as the nationals next summer are shifting to Royal Leamington Spa.

The Balcomb joy was in stark contrast to the Middleton Cup gloom 24 hours earlier at Atherley where Hampshire slumped out of the competition in a 123-114 (16-6) defeat by Oxfordshire.

Despite being fortified by the previous week’s heroics against Kent at Canterbury Hampshire made a tentative start and trailed 27-26 on five ends. Although they were further adrift by the 10th (60-42) they redoubled their efforts to be only 80-78 behind following the 15th.

The host county completed their revival by sweeping 97-93 ahead on the 18th end but just when it seemed their prospects of going through to the semi-finals had soared they stuttered as Oxfordshire regained the initiative to snatch the verdict.

Primary reasons for Hampshire’s late demise was Richard Shelley dropping 11 shots without reply on his last three ends and Hampshire’s top skip Daniels conceding seven and scoring none on his final three sliding from 23-9 to 23-16.

On the credit side Russell Morgan eased clear from 17-17 after 18 to win 22-17 while Leo May, who had been 10-1 down at five ends, narrowed his deficit to five.