WITH their Middleton Cup hopes shattered for another year Hampshire have one last chance to salvage something from the wreckage of this season.

Although they face Oxfordshire in their Middleton swansong at Atherley on Saturday (2pm) the top priority as far as Rod Rosier's men are concerned is the following day when they travel to Winchmore Hill, north London, for the regional finals of the EBA's new Top Two Fours competition.

They play Sussex in the morning semi-final and if successful meet either Surrey or Berkshire in the afternoon final the prize for the winners being a place at Worthing for the national semi-finals and final on August 27.

On duty for Hampshire will be Michael Hutley (Boscombe Cliff), Leo May (Pyestock), Graham Standley (Sports Centre) and Peter Ward (Sports Centre/Ringwood) and Kevin Philip (Aldershot Traction), Jody Bright (Sports Centre), Paul May (Banister Park) and Sports Centre skip Adam Tidby.

Travelling reserves are Mark Hammond (Sports Centre) and Jim Marsland (Aldershot Traction).

To give those two rinks more time playing together Rosier has selected them to play together against Oxfordshire though Hammond is drafted into the Tidby foursome as Paul May is unavailable.

Hampshire's slim prospects of qualifying from their Middleton Cup group perished with a 15-7 (114-110) defeat by Middlesex at Ruislip. Winning three rinks and drawing another was not enough to save them from losing for the second time in three matches.

As in the opener against Berkshire Rosier bemoaned his team's luck which reached its nadir on the final end of the day when Leo May held five shots to win the game overall until opposing skip Simon Jee fired in desperation with his second wood and got the shot to seal the host county's victory.

Skips' scores: Adam Tidby (Sports Centre) 14 T Waller 22; Graham Standley (Sports Centre) 23 P Briscoe 17; Charlie Bailey (Fareham) 19 P Catter 16; Leo May (Pyestock) 17 S Jee 17; Peter Ward (Sports Centre/Ringwood) 22 P Cook 17; Paul May (Banister Park) 15 P Sutcliffe 25.

l Group points: Berkshire (played 3) 53, Hampshire (3) 30, Oxfordshire (2) 24, Middlesex (2) 19, Isle of Wight (2) 6.

Other result: Oxfordshire 6 (111) Berkshire 16 (114).