THE Woolston rink of Mick Milne, Gary Milne, Alan Smith and Dave Hughdie - county kings last year - are out of this season's Hampshire fours championship.

They fell 21-19 to Mick Barrett, Roger Cattle, Bernie Love and Jim Barrett of Eastleigh Rail in the second round.

Southampton Old Green caused a surprise when Eliot Comley, D George, Bert Phillips and Jim Barlow triumphed 20-16 against Alan Smith, Trevor Comley, Denny Murrey and Barry Bendall from Banister Park.

And Old Green also came out on top when Clive Tancock's quartet ousted Roy Blake and his Sports Centre colleagues Frank Mintrum, John Joslin and Peter Rathband 22-14.

Peter Ward (Sports Centre) and Peter Line (Atherley) eased through comfortably as did Luke Young, Simon Doig, Andy Anderson and Denny Graydon (Fleming Park) against Fred Rolfe (Woolston).

Ward, playing alongside Iain Bunday and Colin Thresher, reached the fourth round of the triples by defeating Ron Akhurst, Ron Paskins and Eddie Rowe (Woolston) 16-10.

Sports Centre now have four of the Central Division's last eight in this discipline, one of the other trios being Richard Shelley, John Keat and Martyn Sekjer who polished off Alan Hunt, George Werrin and Jim Wood (Eastleigh Rail) 17-10.

Russell Morgan is out of the singles. Boscombe Cliff's ex-international, who was county champion in 1995, lost 21-12 to Paul Turner, the Southbourne bowler who was the beaten finalist nine years ago.