THE good news is that Bill Ward will be playing Middleton Cup for Hampshire this year. The bad news is that it will be his first and last season for the county.

The vastly experienced bowler who moved to the south coast from Warwickshire just over six years ago is returning to live in Royal Leamington Spa.

Ward, who made his Middleton Cup debut almost 30 years ago with Warwickshire, has not played in the inter-county outdoor championship yet for Hampshire although he has been a regular in their Liberty Trophy side since the then-team manager Peter Line drafted him into the team at the turn of the century.

A shoulder problem restricted his outdoor appearances in the early years after his move to Hampshire but he did play last summer though not in the cup matches as county boss Rod Rosier was not made aware of his availability.

However, he will be very much part of Rosier's plans this term - and Ward is prepared to travel to Hampshire matches should his house move be completed while the county are still in the competition.

Hampshire have their qualifying group matches on four successive Saturdays in June and if they go through the quarter-finals are on Saturday, July 22.

Ward, who lives at Milford on Sea, has really made his mark indoors, the highlight coming in February this year he won the national over-60 singles' title at Nottingham.

As an East Dorset club bowler he also qualified for the national stages of the principal EIBA competitions at Melton Mowbray and took the Hampshire two-wood triples title in successive years as well as reaching the county singles' final in the season just finished.

Ward, who has already found a property in Leamington Spa, said he and wife Bridie wanted to live more in the town and had found the ideal house just where they wanted in the Midlands.

Ward added: "I have really enjoyed living and playing in Hampshire and being alongside such quality bowlers as Martyn Sekjer, Adam Tidby, Peter Ward, Dean Morgan and Russell Morgan has really benefited my game.

"It was a great honour to go straight into the Liberty Trophy side when Peter Line was manager. Hampshire had just won the trophy and he gave me my big chance - I told him I was prepared to play anywhere as I was just so delighted to be among the top 24 in the county."

Ward was number two on his Hampshire Liberty debut alongside Andy Ross (Longmeadow), Nicky Smith (Atherley) and East Dorset skip Julian Haines in a rink that beat the Devon Destroyer Ian Bond at Donyatt, Somerset.

Ward has continued to shine ever since and is unbeaten on the Liberty rink of namesake Peter Ward for the past two winters.

C League: Christchurch 31 (5) Fordingbridge 23 (1), New Milton 31 (6) Waterside 27 (0), Iford Bridge 34 (4) Lymington 31 (2), Ringwood 18 (0) Downton 39 (6).

D League: Christchurch 40 (4) New Milton I 39 (2), New Milton II 36 (6) Highcliffe II 31 (0), Highcliffe I 49 (6) Totton and Eling 33 (0), Lyndhurst 24 (2) Milford 7 (4) - Lyndhurst conceded four points as they did not field a second rink.