Bowls: Bournemouth make escape

BOURNEMOUTH, the holders, narrowly escaped defeat in the first round of the Sanatogen English National Fours Championship at Worthing yesterday before reaching the last 16.

Nick Jones, the teenage Bournemouth skip, took on the 81-year-old Sussex player, John Luffman, whose Crouch team had a combined age of 284.

Trailing 12-18, Bournemouth fought back on the 20th end before breaking a 18-18 deadlock on the 21st to win 19-18. In the second round they beat Crittall Silver End 19-15.

Gary Smith and Andy Thomson, of Blackheath and Greenwich, who won the pairs title last year, suffered a 21-12 second round defeat against Neil Connor's Chippenham Town.

On a day of big finishes, Chris Southgate's Risbygate stormed to a 28-23 win over Mid-Surrey, skipped by Wynne Richards, picking up 12 shots over the last four ends, while Hampshire county champions Southampton, skipped by Glenn Alford, turned a 7-18 deficit into a 22-21 second round victory over Andy Moore's Melksham quartet.