AFTER being title contenders last summer Ringwood have been involved at the wrong end of the Section One table this year but the Foresters took a step towards calmer waters by thumping fellow strugglers Wimborne.

Brian Tester, Dave Vincent, Mike Vogt and Kevin Gilliver produced a 36-17 scorcher as Ringwood recorded a 103-70 victory and 12 points. The Minstermen were cheered by Daniel Tomberry, Ian Napleton, Brian Ludlow and Mark Tomberry (21-18), skip Mark trailing the jack into the ditch to score a last-end double after Ringwood had been holding two.

Ringwood's shots tally was replicated by table-toppers Alexandra Park who stretched their lead at the summit by whitewashing cellar-dwellers Wessex 103-44. Kevin O'Connell, Stuart Davis, Alan Miller and Derek Ames (23-8) and Alan Trevett, Alan Burden, Dave Hodgkiss and Paul King (29-16) were the Alex sunbeams.

Reigning champions Boscombe Cliff stayed on the title scene with a 12-2 (81-49) success at Poole Park. Stuart Trees, Gerry Davis, Charlie Munden and Stan Jordan (27-7) were Cliff's finest with Mike Bennett, Bob Parkes, Richard Sawyer and Mike Stapleton (16-12) responding for Poole.

A 24-12 card from Colin Bingley, Malcolm Gray, Dave Sewell and Chris Dowding was the key to Bournemouth's 12-pointer (87-72) at Southbourne whose consolation came when Alan Elkin, Bill Smith, John Hutchinson and Forrest Thomson erased a 15-13 deficit to finish 26-16 up.

Peter Inge, Ray Gollop, Doug Mitchell and Tony Golding (24-15 after being 12-11 down to John Blair) laid the foundations for Branksome Park's 12-2 (82-69) eclipse of Knyveton Gardens who were propped up by Eric Sole, Dave Baxter, Deric Pritchard and Dave Hart (21-15).

SECTION TWO

LEADERS Electric tied with Branksome Park A 70-70 yet took the lion's share of the points 8-6 in a match where one rink was drawn. Michael Fay, Alan Trickett, Richard Haynes and Les Rogerson (19-13) were the Electric driving-force with Reg Chick, Chris Harding, Geoff Judd and Tony Matthews (22-15) the Branksome aces.

New Milton nipped into third when squeezing in 80-77 to bag 10 points at second-placed West Moors. Paul Willis, Bob Burns, Trevor Rock and Brian Jones (34-10) sparked New Milton after being 12-10 down with Tony Downes, Bill Bedford, John Taylor and John Niblock (23-11) the West Moors stars.

Table-proppers Highcliffe showed they have the ability to avoid the drop by shading promotion-chasers Fordingbridge 10-4 (76-74). Ron Hawkins, Trevor Welch, Ken Wright and Stan Patch (25-16) were the Highcliffe sharp-shooters and Keith Guest, Jeff Mitchell, Ron Barclay and Alan Elsbury (24-18) kept Bridge in the hunt.

The margin was also close for Braeside who edged in 77-74 to clock up a 10-pointer against Boscombe Cliff A thanks chiefly to Jim O'Brien, John Tulley, Terry Cox and Peter Lloyd (28-13) though ultimately the overall verdict was decided by a last-end four from Colin Moss. Richard Brion, Mike Stainer, Steve Hack and Brian Everard (27-13) nearly swung it for Boscombe.

A 26-9 gem from Les Minton, Brian Ilston, Roy Milton and Wally Draper steered Richmond Park to a 12-pointer (83-65) against Pelhams whose blushes were spared by Evan Alner, John Green, John Bond and John Eldridge (21-11).

SECTION THREE

DESPITE their 11-3 (72-58) performance at Lymington, Southbourne A surrendered the number one spot to Argyll who overwhelmed Kings Park 14-0 (96-48) to go top on shots difference.

Seton Smith, Graham Eyers, Bryan Morgan and Peter King-dom (26-9) glistened for Argyll. Arthur Brown, Richard Poole, Richard Thompson and Larry Cox (25-14) were the Southbourne high-flyers and Doug Barnard, Terry Green, Vernon Cox and Ken Streek (16-14) were the Foresters' solitary winners.

Mike Sabine, Michael White, John Hall and Alan Godwin (23-12) needed every shot they could muster when Wessex pipped Moordown 78-77 to gather 12 points. Norman Weller, Mike Maidment, Bob Grimsey and Willi Droge (30-13) were Moordown's finest.

Keith Hansford, Mark Grimes, Peter Frampton and Peter Habgood (25-8) indulged themselves when Knyveton Gardens A outgunned Christchurch 12-2 (83-65). Richard Reeks, Ray Weigh, Spencer Williams and Ray Williams (17-10) consoled Christchurch.

SECTION FOUR

REDHILL Park are the new pacemakers following their 12-2 (88-64) triumph at Poole Park B. Les Blackmore, John Williams, Fred Wiseman and Eric Jones (27-12) were Redhill's guiding lights and Jim Buckman, Arthur Vincent, Ernie Kendrick and Colin Ansell (23-12) headed the Poole effort.

Previous leaders New Milton A also won but only 10-4 (83-81) against plucky West Moors A whose main motivators were Frank Partridge, Colin Mills, Charles Morris and Arthur Baxter (26-18). Gilbert Cooke, Mike McLauchlan, Dennis James and Hugh Midgley (27-16) were the Milton maestroes.

Mike Keats, Ken Morgan, John Brown and Tony Bailey enjoyed a 34-14 bonanza when Swanage trimmed Ringwood A 12-2 (98-73), Jim Sillitoe, Eric Norman, Jack Harris and Nigel Brown (28-13) saving the Foresters' from a wipe-out.

Jim Dustan, Colin Haynes, Ralph Johns and John Reeves (21-16) set the standard as Bournemouth A slammed Braeside A 13-1 (80-69). Ray Southgate, Horace Hipkiss, Dave Watson and Bob Carpenter (18-18) grabbed the Braeside point.

Poole Park A sealed their first win for a month when inching home 80-78 to bag 11 points against promotion hopefuls Ferndown. Roger Tidby, John Cresswell, John Potter and John Hobby (30-21) put Poole on the right track while Barrie Stainer, Ken Millman, Ron Talman and Tony Woods (22-11) fared even better for Ferndown.

SECTION FIVE

TRAILBLAZERS Swanmore buckled 10-4 (83-68) at home to their closest challengers Milford. Roy Walker, Ray Whitehead, Bill Gorst and Alan Edmonds (27-12) were the Milford stalwarts and Mike Cadle, Roy Thompson, Terry Tuck and Geoff Simmonds (21-9) shone for Swanmore.

Table-proppers Lymington A gave themselves a boost for the second half of the campaign by silencing Redhill Park A 11-3 (72-66). Bob Hillier, Ted Priddice, Geoff Nightingale and Arthur Baker (29-14) roused Lymington and Spencer Spring, Jim Rolfe, Gerry Dixon and Edgar Kerley (22-8) were Redhill's mainstays.

All square at Kings Park A who tied 7-7 (70-70) with West Moors B. Wally Tanner, Ken Boreham, Colin Colebrook and Roy Simpson (20-11) were the chief Kings suppliers while the highlight for their companion rink of Paddy Roach, Bernard Morton, Colin Proctor and Richard Harris was a hot-shot. Derek Miles, Richard Phillips, Derek Warner and John Savage (20-8) of West Moors helped level matters.

A 29-11 dazzler from Derek Winters, Colin Cox, Brian Openshaw and Barry Duxbury propelled Pelhams A to a 12-2 (86-75) verdict against Richmond Park A whose riposte was a 30-14 beauty from Vittorio Gariano, Dennis Dymott, Brian Pearce and Brian Devine.

Bill Pike, Geoff Rolaston, Ben Brown and Tony Jay (24-13) and John Hancock, Geoff Tate, Geoff Halstead and Norman Dalgarno (26-15) were both successful by the same margin as Argyll A gained the slenderest of results (75-74) to register 10 points against Boscombe Cliff B. Norman Smith, Tom Dally, Keith Symonds and John Jupp (24-12) pepped Boscombe.

SECTION SIX

SOUTHBOURNE B's perfect ana-lysis was wrecked in a 14-0 (94-65) pasting at Wimborne B whose stars were Les Parrock, Burchall Gladwyn, Alan Garland and Derek Geldart (25-15).

Highcliffe A and Knyveton Gardens B both sealed 14-points by identical 102-63 scores. A 33-15 sizzler from Vernon Blunt, Bryan Taylor, Jack Taylor and Brian Giltrow was at the heart of High-cliffe's maximum at Ferndown with head Gardeners Cyril Arch-er, Murray Bacon, Ray Palmer and Mike Ball (36-14) enjoying a shots' feast at Christchurch A.

George Williamson, John Hillesdon, Harry Hales and Eric Norris (33-15) hit the heights when Swanmore A smothered Branksome Park B 11-3 (84-75). Ian Kirkpatrick, Peter Hayward, Roger Aspray and Mike Brocklebank (25-9) soothed Branksome.

A 26-12 show from Ken Dunn, Alan Reynolds, David Morrison and Derek Tansley sent New Milton B soaring home 11-3 (85-67) at Iford Bridge A. Bruce Boddy, Kevin Hilliard, Ron Perkins and George Steer (19-18) picked up the crumbs for Iford.