John Sullivan gave himself an early seasonal present when he became the first player into the area quarter-finals of the national singles.

The Denton Island member won 21-14 at home to King Alfred's Stef Michael.

Den Lincoln and Steve Bain, of Eastbourne, won their pairs at Falaise over Keith Cheetham and Steve Jeapes despite dropping an eight. The Falaise twosome got their maximum on the sixth end to lead 10-4 and were 13-6 ahead after ten ends.

Lincoln and Bain hit back with 1,2,2 but a single to the home pair had them 14-11 ahead. The Eastbourne pair got a four to edge ahead 15-14 and, after dropping a single scored 1,3,1,1 to win 21-15 at 20 ends.

The Falaise pair needed six on the 21st end to stay alive but, despite having earlier got an eight, decided that task was beyond them and shook hands.

Also into the last eight in the area are Eric South and Basil Holding who went 8-1 up at seven ends and won 20-16 at home to the Taylor brothers from Eastbourne, Roger and Colin.

In the national mixed pairs Pat Pearce and Dave Woosnam won 21-13 over Preston colleagues Di Whittingham and Dave Hesketh to earn a quarter-final at Wealden against Shirley and Colin Neal, who won 20-12 at home to Beth Clarke and Derek Wells, of Eastbourne.

Pearce and Woosnam were 12-9 down after 12 ends but scored 3,2,3,1,1 to lead 19-12 after 17 ends and Whittingham and Hesketh quit at 20 ends.

The Neals put in a 1,2,2 finish to be cosy winners over Clarke and Wells.

At Wealden, Marion Chown and Alex Parsons had a thrilling finish with four shots on the last end to win 18-17 over Sue Warner, of Adur, and Dave Ovett, of Preston.

Three up after two ends was the only sniff of possible success Pat Fulcher and Bob Austin had against Worthing colleagues Tom Campbell and Wendy Davies, who were the area winners last season.

Leading 23-4 after 11 ends Campbell and Davies won 30-6 when Fulcher and Austin quit after 17 ends. Jean Meneely, a substitute for Iris Robinson, and Peter Tandy lost at home to Charlie Bailey from Victory.

Down 9-4 after six ends in the national mixed fours, Eastbourne's Tony Kemp, Ron Stratford, Joy Kemp and Dot Durrant picked up 4,4,2,2,3 to lead 19-9. They were at home to Preston's Jean Bowles, Doug Reed, Pat Pearce and Dave Woosnam, who then scored a three and with a minimum length jack on the next end were holding seven but Dot Durrant drew third bowl.

On the next end the jack length was queried and it was discovered that Jean Bowles had placed the mat beyond the minimum length mark so Tony Kemp cast it. With the Eastbourne team finishing 2,1,4 they won 28-16.

Preston's Alf Carver, Kathy Flood, Terri Wall and Pat Flood were comfortable 26-11 home winners over Jenny Bainbridge, Sandra Godfrey, Roy Bainbridge and John Godfrey from Adur, and equally easy winners were Egerton Park's Marion Boswell, Lorraine and Derek Kemp and Robin Boswell by 25-4 at 15 ends at home to Mary Smith, Eve Gooding, Mick Jones and Ian Gooding from Wealden.

Janet Howson, Shirley Nelson, John Stevens and Brian Howson, of Wealden, started 2,3,5,2,1 at home to S. Sharpe, V. Bacon, A. Taylor and Tony Bacon of Denton Island and triumphed 25-14.

In their quarter-final they will entertain Adur's Gwen Webster, Celia Pearce, Clive Corbin and Frank Hole who, from 12-7 at nine ends added 3,2,4 and won 27-13 at Spooners over A. Yarranton, H. Brooks, Malcolm Goman and Ralph Steele.

In an outstanding match Peter Reynolds, of Eastbourne, beat David Williams, of Egerton Park, 21-19 at Preston in the area final of the national over-60s singles and Reynolds now plays the Kent area winner on a neutral green.

Reynolds led 19-15 after 19 ends. Williams got a brace of twos to draw level but on the 22nd end Reynolds got a two for victory.

Last season's Sussex area winners of the generation pairs, Mandie Carrie and her schoolboy son Keith, have gone out in the first round despite starting with a five at Egerton Park against Betty Potten and her son Steve.

With Brian Butler drawing immaculately and Matt Bonnar getting good results with a handful of up the middle drives, the Arun members, with their lead Barry Why, went 9-5 up at Worthing in the Sussex triples against Ray Potten, Keith Cruise and John Dicker.

But on the tenth end Bonnar decided against firm tactics and did not save a six which proved the turning point as the consistency of the Worthing trio saw them through 19-9 at 16 ends.

This defeat for Matt Bonnar came 24 hours after he and his son Matt Jnr had been to Victory and been well beaten in the father and son pairs by Pete and Mark Hammond.

Ironically, the same 24 hours later that Bonnar was at Worthing, so too were Pete and Mark in the main national pairs event against Alan Vidler and Adrian Raphael.

For nine ends the Worthing pair put up a good show but could not maintain their drawing accuracy and the Hammonds from 8-8 at nine ends went on to win 24-12 at 18.

- Ray Potten