BANISTER PARK are one step away from the national stages of the English Women's Indoor BA fours championship after a convincing 19-8 victory over Wendy Line's Atherley rink.

Joan Ryan, Olive Smith, Wendy Berry and skip Midge Pitter took the match by the scruff of the neck on the Atherley carpet, building a 10-1 lead at eight ends against Anne Pearce, Ella Dibble, Pat Sutton and skip Line.

"It was an excellent game and everything went for us," said Pitter, who is hoping for a similar performance at Havant this Sunday, when they face the Dorchester quartet skipped by Sue Jennings in the zone 14 final for a place in the last 16 at Nottingham on March 1-9.

The last time Ryan, Berry and Pitter qualified for the nationals in the fours for Banister Park was in 1994 with the late Rhona Darling as their skip.

Though Line was disappointed, she still has three routes to Nottingham - in the singles, triples and over-50 two-wood triples - and is also going strong in the mixed fours with husband Peter, Pearce and John Barter.

They are through to the area finals after brushing aside Chris Mcmillan 26-15 and John Plomer 23-10.

The national finals are at Erewash, Nottinghamshire, in April.

* Dates and venues for the zone 14 finals:

Havant - Sunday, January 28 (10.30 unless stated)

Singles: Wendy Line (Atherley) v Jan Jones (East Dorset).

Pairs: Joan Hopson/Chris Doig (Riverside) v Joy Chaldecott/Janet Kay (Dolphin).

Fours: Joan Ryan/Olive Smith/Wendy Berry/Midge Pitter (Banister Park) v Victoria Whitty/Ros Gwatkin/Annette Hallet/Sue Jennings (Dorchester).

Unbadged pairs: Bridget Collins/ April Janman (Arun) v Jan Jones/ Sheila Plomer (East Dorset) 12.30.

Under-31 singles: (both winners go through to nationals) Lucy Beere (Isle of Wight) v Kathryn Cousins (East Dorset) at 11.30, Michelle Jeans (Stour Vale) v

Michelle Clark (East Dorset).

Dolphin - Saturday, February 3 (10am unless stated)

Triples: Anne Pearce/Mo Hawkins/Wendy Line (Atherley) v Freda Yates/Jenny Andrews/Kitty Mulholland (Dorchester).

Champion of Champions: Margaret Darkin (Banister Park) or Rosemary Bailey (Victory) v Viv Mansell (Isle of Purbeck).

Bournemouth - Monday, February 5

(10.30 unless stated)

Over-50s two-wood triples: Anne Pearce/Gwen Weaver/Wendy Line (Atherley) v Joy Chaldecott/ Rosemary Spetch/Janet Kay (Dolphin).