MAIN contenders Poole Park and West Moors crossed swords at the Lakeside in A Division but settled for an honourable 3-3 draw. With Penny Cresswell’s 23-18 win in the locker, Dolphin skip Rosemary Spetch held a match-winning two shots until West Moors’ skip Pat Chant (20-15) changed the head, tied the end and levelled the match 38-38.

Nearest challengers, Lymington, Richmond Park and Southbourne all suffered 4-2 home defeats.

Rosemary Butler, Linda Linge, Sheila Percival and Julie Stringer (19-16) tied up Ferndown’s 34-32 victory at Lymington, with Kay Richardson collecting two points for Lymo with a last-end 16-15 win.

Elsewhere, Richmond Park lost 34-26 at home to New Milton, with Sheila Godwin, Sandra Elder, Judy Busby and Wendy Reed (19-10) setting up Milton’s success. Richmond’s Jill Bryant salvaged a last-end 16-15 win.

Southbourne’s reverse was inflicted by lowly Iford Bridge, for whom Janet Holloway, Glenda Quick, Linda Savage and Ann Sedgwick (23-18) did just enough to cover Southbourne’s successful skip Olive Fidler (20-16).

B DIVISION: Champions-elect Braeside proved they can also perform away by winning 6-0 (54-21) at Pelhams. Jean Walter, Marjorie Hey, Joan Brooks and Molly Shutler (31-13) led the Braeside attack.

Broadstone-Wessex have a firm hold on second place following their double rink win at Wimborne, which saw Veronica Ness, Ros Valentine, Sibil Ball and Sylvia Edgson (26-17) take top billing in the 48-30 success.

Promotion long shots Highcliffe and Kings Park both lost, though.

Highcliffe lost at Argyll, where Evelyn Lewis, Joyce Budd, Doris Gedge and Norma Ritchens (21-17) combined with Emmie Drinkwater’s rink (24-21) to give the hosts six points. And the Royals could only muster two points as visitors Richmond Park belied their league position to triumph 37-32. Richmond skip Linda Johnson (26-10) covered Kings Park’s successful skip Beryl Nuttall (22-11).

Brockenhurst, meanwhile, picked up four valuable points in their 34-32 win at West Moors. Dian Place’s squad (20-17) put Brock in charge, but Moors skip Barbara Tite denied the visitors a maximum with a last-end 15-14 triumph.

C DIVISION: It was all change at the top after defeats for Verwood and Southbourne. Verwood suffered a 5-1 setback by lowly Broadstone-Wessex after a gutsy performance from Vanessa Smyth, Val Rowberry, Sally Rowe and Maureen Day (21-19) enabled the Wessex girls to hold on 40-38.

Meanwhile, Southbourne crashed to a 53-34 defeat at Milford-on-Sea, where Sheila Hall, Pat Wingfield, Joan Moss and Diana Goodyear (29-15) combined with Margaret Jeakings’ quartet (24-19) to give the Seasiders all six points.

Fordingbridge donned the leader’s mantle with a 6-0 win over visitors Ringwood. Home skips Jenny Alder (25-20) and Chris Carter (22-17), with a last-end five, shared the plaudits in the Fordingbridge 47-37 victory.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth collected all six points in their 50-33 home win over Lymington. The Belles’ best return came from Trish Leach, Brenda Mitchell, Brenda Halliday and Joan Belcher (29-18).

Braeside ensured mid-table security with a definitive 5-1 (52-22) win over Branksome Park. Anne Cox, Chris Mills, Mary Southgate and Sheila Harris (36-6) put Braeside firmly in control.

D DIVISION: Leaders Alexandra Park surprisingly lost 4-2 to relegation-threatened Christchurch. Gill Fagg’s quartet (28-9) put Alex in a commanding position, but they were outscored by the Priory combination led by Mary Poore (30-8).

Richmond Park took a firm grip on second spot with a 6-0 win at Highcliffe, where a convincing 32-11 win by Vena Paris, Carol Gariano, Joy Spencer and Trish Gray set up the 48-23 victory.

Poole Park, meanwhile, are back in the mix after Gill Brown, Helen Winton, Janet Moreton and Joan Eales (25-17) paved the way for the Dolphins’ 42-29 success against Swanmore.

Pelhams I severely dented Argyll’s hopes, though, after Judy Jones, Jean Moore, Norma Grinter and Audrey Judge (36-9) starred. Mary Burrell-Davis salvaged a point for Argyll with a last-end 17-17 tie.

Meanwhile, Pelhams II also collected five points in their 37-26 win at New Milton. Enjoying the spotlight were Gill Woadden, Emily Blunt, Stella Feltham and Wendy Wotton (23-12).

E DIVISION: Moordown claimed the title with a resounding 49-21.75 victory over Broadstone-Wessex. Maureen Affleck, Terri Shepherd, Mary Wilde and Pat Martin (29-7.75) allied to Cathy Frances’ quartet (20-14) and took all six points.

New Milton suffered a setback, however, when losing 4-2 to Redhill Park, who now have a good chance of survival. Redhill’s victory came courtesy of a match-winning 31-9 from Jean Locke, Pauline Vick, Barbara Bell and Bobby Saunders.

With Broadstone and New Milton tasting defeat, Braeside came into the reckoning with a 5-1 triumph over visitors Kings Park. Ann Seale, Margaret Steel, Cynthia Davey and Janet Young (23-16) starred in the 37-30 win.

Ferndown, however, are favourites for the drop following their 4-2 defeat to West Moors.

F DIVISION: Shelley Park returned from Branksome Park with the one point after a last-end 17-17 tie from Sylvia Sayer’s quartet. The Squirrels’ 42.75-28 success came courtesy of Vikki Baron, Babs Shand, Carol Bryant and Hilary Jenkins (26.75-12).

Southbourne, however, took over on top after completing a 6-0 (40-31.25) win at Swanmore.

Highcliffe, meanwhile, remain in the bottom two despite gaining a 4-2 win at Poole Park. Their 29-9 winning rink comfortably covered Dolphin’s skip Joyce McIndoe (21-18).

West Moors were handed six points after New Milton conceded.

G DIVISION: Moordown remain on top after their 5-1 win over Branksome Park. Barbara Roles, Pat Masters and Cherry Webb (27-11) collected their third hot-shot of the season during Moordown’s 46-30 victory.

Richmond Park conceded to Wimborne.