DENNIS DURRANT is the surprise package in the area semi-finals of the English Indoor BA singles championship.

Having already put out fellow Atherley bowler Roy Skipp, George Churcher (Banister Park) and Chris Dowding (Bournemouth) Durrant produced a fine display to sink Wiltshire Liberty Trophy player Dennis Shipp (Five Rivers) 21-8.

Durrant has never previously reached the last-four stage but now has a daunting test against Dean Morgan, the outdoor and indoor international who carried off Commonwealth Games silver for England in the pairs last summer.

Morgan (East Dorset) moved through against Terry Warnes (Bournemouth) while the other tie involves Hampshire's Liberty Trophy assistant manager Graham Standley from Longmeadow and Chris Daniels (Bournemouth).

Standley knocked out Chris Martin (East Dorset) while Daniels accounted for England new boy Adam Tidby (East Dorset) 21-3.

Highlight of the pairs was the 25-19 triumph of Colin Thresher and Richard Shelley over the East Dorset international duo Peter Ward and Martyn Sekjer.

What's more, the Atherley duo achieved their success at Christchurch after a five on the seventh gave them a six-shot cushion.

A dropped four on the 18th left Thresher and Shelley 21-18 ahead and, though former Atherley star Ward and Sekjer made further inroads with a single on the 19th, they got no closer as the visiting pair held their nerve.

Thresher and Shelley next face Geoff Norgate and Barry Bendall (Banister Park).

Simon Doig's hopes of progress with Riverside were dashed in the triples quarter-finals by Dennis Shipp, and also beaten was Steve Whitehead and his Banister Park colleagues by Russell Morgan of East Dorset.

Russell Morgan heads a rink through to the fours' semi-final and their next opponents are Danny McEw-an and his Banister Park associates who won an in-ternal club battle with Mick Slade in the previ- ous round.

Anne Pearce and Colin Thresher (Atherley) tackle Sheila Plomer and Julian Haines (East Dorset) in the area final of the mixed pairs at Banister Park this Friday (6.30pm).

Meanwhile, Pearce, Wendy Line, Thresher and Peter Line are already through to national stages (last 32) of the mixed fours at Northampton later this month after a 26-17 triumph over Bournemouth (Chris Daniels) in the area final.

Despite being incapacitated for much of this season, including time spent in hospital, Norman Shelley joined forces with son Richard to beat Chris and Ray Daniels 25-18 at neutral Dolphin, Poole, and qualify for North-ampton in the father and son championship.

AREA 31 SEMI-FINAL DRAWS:

Singles: Graham Standley (Longmeadow) v Chris Daniels (Bournemouth), Dennis Durrant (Atherley) v Dean Morgan (East Dorset).

Pairs: Colin Thresher, Richard Shelley (Atherley) v Geoff Norgate; Barry Bendall (Banister Park); Kevin Cousins, Julian Haines (East Dorset) v Bill Ward, Adam Tidby (East Dorset).

Triples: Russell Morgan (East Dorset) v Dennis Shipp (Five Rivers); Mike Crook (Five Rivers) v Chris Martin (East Dorset).

Fours: Russell Morgan (East Dorset) v Danny McEwan (Banister Park); Bill Belcher (East Dorset) v Mike Crook (Five Rivers).

Matches must be played by Sunday, February 9.