Steve Hawkes and Eric Pidgeon overcame a slow surface to reach the last four of area qualifying in the national pairs.

They started 1,1,4, got a five on the seventh end and led 15-5 before a closing sequence of 1,1,1,3,1 had them 23-8 up after 18 ends at which point visitors Nick Dudman and Colin Brown of, Worthing Pavilion, called a halt.

With the heating system having failed, it was cold and slow for the first half of the game. Good work by Pidgeon rescued several ends and they now play club colleagues Tom Campbell and Chris Young in the semi-finals.

Seven shots over the 12th and 13th ends put Martin Biggleston and Derek Dyer 22-13 ahead and they won 26-18 at home to Eric South and Basil Holding.

They now visit Glyn Hesketh and Richard Moses.

Den Lincoln was excellent partnering Steve Bain and they went from only 10-9 ahead after 12 ends to 22-9 at 18 and on to a 22-13 home win over Mike Patching and Phil Hillsden.

Four shots on the 17th end got Mike Gulliver and Mike Gray one ahead of visitors John Durrant and Dave Hesketh, but the Preston pair went into the last end two ahead and held on to win 20-18. They now visit Lincoln and Bain.

Don Kent, Alan Clark and Brian Miller won their national triples tie 17-16 on an extra end at Adur over Mike Patching, Roy Bainbridge and Phil Hillsden.

In the semi-finals they visit Preston to play John Durrant, Leigh Prince and Richard Moses. Miller's men got five on the 16th end to lead 16-10 but then dropped 3,3.

The other tie is Preston's Eric South, Joe Galelli and Basil Holding at home to Peter Delonnette, Graham Lavander and Ron Packham of Falaise. They led 16-10 at 15 ends and won 16-14 at Egerton Park over Ernie Harris, Colin Murray and Ken Taber.

Arun's Mark Desmond, Steve Mead and Peter Hannam went out 20-13 at home to Harry Brownsdon's team from the Isle of Wight club. Brownsdon took out a bowl on the tenth end to score five and lead 13-5.

The Arun team battled gamely and, after an excellent 15th end on which they scored a single, they were only 14-13 behind.

But they failed to win another end. Hannam, noted for his firing shots, couldn't hit the target on the 18th end when he needed to kill the end to stay alive.

With both away rinks winning by three shots and one at home by nine, Preston had an 80-70 win over Atherley (Southampton) in the last 16 stage of the national inter-club championship for the Yetton Trophy.

The scores only closed up over the last six ends. Ann Millward, Sheila Miller, Pat Pearce and Jean Bowles led 17-8 after 15 ends before winning 20-17 over Wendy Line and Brenda Bailey. Doreen Tilling, Ann Owen and Debbie Stavrou had led 19-6 after 15 ends before winning 20-17 over Marion Collins.

At home Jan Dearling, June Clayton, Terri Wall and Sue Jones had gone 8-1 up at eight ends and won 22-13 over Jenny McAusland.

But Doreen Brockes, Peggy Moore, Kathy Flood and Betty Durrant, from 10-9 ahead after 11 ends, fell away a little and lost 23-18 to Pat Sutton.

Preston's quarter-final opponents on February 22 will be North Wilts (Chippenham) and the match is expected to be on a home and away basis.

Adur versus Preston and Worthing against Egham is the line-up in the fourth round of the London and Southern Counties Shield.

Adur won 76-70 against Wealden. John Godfrey won 23-19 at Wealden over Chris Thomas and Terry Stevens lost 22-15 to Don Scoble. At Adur Phil Hillsden won 27-15 against Alan King and Ken Holden went down 14-11 to Ian Gooding.

Preston won 92-69 over King Alfred with Chris Turrell 33-10 up at home to Freddie Brown. Alongside him, Dave Woosnam lost 24-23 to Trevor Vine.

At King Alfred Preston's Joe Galelli won 20-19 over Tony Jefferies and Basil Holding finished 16-16 with Bob Gooding. Worthing beat Bannister Park 90-73 with Brain Dunne winning 30-7 at home to Ken Marsh while Chris Young lost 21-20 to Steve Whitehead. Away, Mick Howard trailed 10-0 but won 24-20 while Bob Austin lost 25-16.