GRAHAM Standley - a regular Hampshire Middleton Cup skip for many years - is returning to outdoor bowls.

But, although that's excellent news for his Whitchurch club, Hampshire will still have to do without his services as he does not want to play Middleton Cup this summer.

Standley gave the outdoor game a miss last year yet absence has made the heart grow fonder and he will be back playing in the nationals for the new season.

However, much to the disappointment of county manager John Plomer, Standley is restricting his involvement to club bowls and has not made himself available for Hampshire.

Two men who did feature in Plomer's first campaign in 2002 are also unavailable. Atherley skip Nicky Smith is taking a break as is Southsea Waverley lead Matthew Marchant who, after reaching the finals of the World Indoor Singles Championship in Norfolk during January, is not playing outdoors and will be concentrating on the indoor game instead.

On the credit side Julian Haines, who did not see out the last campaign because he declined to play at three instead of skip, is back in the hunt as is another former cup regular Jim Marsland who pulled out last year for personal reasons.

One new face in the trial is Justin Davies, who appeared in the Middleton Cup with Wiltshire last summer and who has since joined Aldershot Traction.

Another highly talented addition is Bill Ward, an ex-Warwickshire Middleton Cup man who has previously confined his efforts to the indoor game with East Dorset since moving to the south coast.

That was because of a shoulder injury but now that he has overcome the problem the man who shone in the nationals last winter is returning to outdoor action and has joined New Milton.

Plomer's statement that "everyone will get a chance to prove themselves" is borne out in the first trial of the season because all 55 bowlers nominated by the county's clubs have been included at Atherley on Sunday, May 4, in what closely resembles a Probables v Possibles match.

After that Plomer will name his squad for the warm-up matches against Wiltshire (at Wootton Bassett on May 18) and Dorset (at Atherley, May 25) in preparation for the Middleton Cup opener against Oxfordshire at Atherley on Saturday, June 7.

Trial rinks:

John Keat (Sports Centre), Chris Martin (Boscombe Cliff), Richard Shelley, Martyn Sekjer (both Sports Centre) v Dave Cole (Whitchurch), Mick Brown (Milton Park), Steve Robertson (Southsea Waverley), Julian Haines (Boscombe Cliff);

Ron Sparks (Boscombe Cliff), Barry Bendall (Banister Park), Chris Daniels, Nicky Jones (both Boscombe Cliff) v Ian McKenzie (Southsea Waverley), Paul Lawrence (Civil Service Portsmouth), Justin Davies, Jim Marsland (both Aldershot Traction); Ian Churchman (Aldershot Traction), Andy Anderson (Fleming Park), Leo May (Pyestock), Russell Morgan (Boscombe Cliff) v Colin Taylor (Oakley), Steve Fielder (College Park), David Oaks, Rod Rosier (both Kingsclere); Alan Geary (Boscombe Cliff), Paul Short (Aldershot Traction), Dorian Bishop (Southsea Waverley), Colin Hayward (Milton Park) v Bill Taws (CS Portsmouth), Mark Hammond (Banister Park), Bill Ward (New Milton), Colin Thresher (Sports Centre); Kevin Philip (Aldershot Traction), Denny Graydon (Fleming Park), Dean Morgan (Boscombe Cliff), Paul May (Pyestock) v Mick Evans (Southsea Waverley), Elliot Comley (Banister Park), Ian Hayward (Whitchurch), Bill Belcher (Bournemouth); Michael Squires (Boscombe Cliff), Darren Clark (Bournemouth), Dave Dunford (Aldershot Traction), Peter Ward (Sports Centre) v Michael Hutley (Boscombe Cliff), Barry Starks, Gary Starks (both Southsea Waverley), Charlie Bailey (Fareham).

To be drafted in during game: Paul Schofield (Alton), Derek Walker, Mick Barrett (both Eastleigh Rail), Trevor Bailey (Alexandra), Dave Fairall (College Park), Andrew Taylor (Cove), Keith Langfield (Aldershot Traction).