Hampshire A team complete double at Gloucester

Having won at home comprehensively the previous week, Hampshire knew to expect a very dogged and determined performance from their hosts who would be looking for revenge.

But they were facing a much-changed team with only five players lining up back in action for Gloucester.

No matter, though, as the final score was a 23-17 win for the travelling Hampshire side and by 194 shots to 190.

It promises good things for the season, especially because they had to come back from a deficit to get the victory.

In the first session North End's Andrew Shorney was beaten 24-8.

Team-mate Brian Brown, of Portsdown, earned a 20-9 win on the next mat.

Then the tide began to swing strongly in the favour of the home team as they powered into an 11-5 lead with an advantage of 107 shots to 67.

Shorney started the reverse games off well and pulled away from his opponent winning nine of the available ends and scoring well on most of them.  

At 11 ends, he was 14-4 up and he went on to win 16-9.

Brown also always seemed to be in control but it got a bit edgy at 11 ends.

He had to rally well from a bit of a scare and pushed on to win 17-12.

That recovery from Shorney and the consistency from Brown produced the valuable bonus points for Hampshire and saw them winning the discipline by sevens shots overall.  

In the pairs Hampshire were then able to cement the comeback to move up on points 13-11 and cut the shot deficit to 143-127.

John Burrowes and Tony Wall (both P&D) combined well to win 12-9.

Dave Jelley (P&D) and Dave Sperry were also winners as they dominated to earn a 15-6 success.

The triples went the way of the home side with scores of 14-10 and 17-13 as they rallied again.

But in the fours Hampshire got it together with wins of 12-10 and 22-6.

That meant the visitors had done enough and the manner of the victory will give them plenty of confidence for the matches ahead.

Report by Barbara Sparling