THE York Ladies surprisingly went out of the Vivienne Trophy at the first hurdle to Doncaster.

After being 62-57 ahead on aggregate with three ends to play they went down 72-67. It was a huge disappointment after the team reached the quarter-finals over the last two years only to be beaten by the eventual winners Leicester and Lincoln.

At home, Anita Haw, Maureen Thomas, Jean Williams and Pat Lofthouse were involved in a very close game, which was tied at 15-15 with two ends to go. A three, followed by a single, gave them a valuable 19-15 victory.

Pat Wilson, Mary Wreglesworth, Pat Ellis and Lynda Parker were also involved in a tight game which saw them 12-10 down after 15 ends.

But a run of four winning ends put them 17-12 ahead with two ends to play in which the visitors picked up singles to make the final score 17-14.

At Doncaster, Betty Richardson, Marilyn Andrews, Clarice Johnston and Marjorie Elvidge had played well throughout their game and were 21-16 ahead with three ends to play but were then hit with a burst of eight shots from the home team who won 24-21.

In the other rink, Pat Bracken, Doreen Arnett, Sylvia Walker and Maureen Robinson built up a good early advantage leading 9-2 after nine ends.

But then they suffered a run of losing nine out of the following ten ends to trail 17-10 with two ends to play, which were shared with singles, the final score being 18-11.

York made it two wins out of two in the Evans Property Group Yorkshire League division one when they beat Ryedale 95-67 winning three rinks and picking up 16 of the 18 points at stake.

At home, Ian Boyle, Frank Turner, Graham Instone and Philip Scott were rocked when they let a healthy 15-6 lead slip to 15-13 after 15 ends, but then finished by winning six successive ends, including a six on the last to comfortably take the game 33-13.

David Stroughair, Graham Brooke, Mal Harrison and Phil Parsons always had the edge which in the end flattered their opponents as they scored four shots on the last two ends to make the score 19-17 in favour of the home team.

At Norton, Paul Mooring, John Emmerson, Barry Walker and Doug Mitchell were drawing 4-4 after six ends before they scored a five. Thereafter, they never looked back as they won 28-15. York's only losing rink came from Michael Bruce, John Walker, Tex Stevens and Dudley Williams who went down 22-15.

In division two of the County League, New Earswick surprisingly lost 89-81 to Doncaster picking up only six points.

At home, Paul Dawson, Barry Harrison, Rob Domville and John Rowan trailed 8-3 before winning five of the following six ends to put them 15-9 ahead, a lead they held on to as they won 20-16.

In the other rink Barry Johnson, Mal Beavers, Bill Chittock and Dave Kermode pulled back an 18-12 deficit after 13 ends to tie 20-20 going into the last end, where they unfortunately dropped a single to lose the game 21-20.

At Doncaster, Bob Edwards, Dave Birch, Mick Stannard and Stephen Long had a great start leading 12-3 after five ends.

But this was pulled back to 15-15 eight ends later only then for eight shots from four successive winning ends to give Edwards' team a 23-15 lead with four ends to play. They dropped three singles but still took the game 25-18.

The damage was done early on in the other rink of Bill Waldie, Ralph Tiplady, Peter Ransom and Dennis Ellis as they trailed 15-0 after only five ends.

They did their utmost to come back but the gap proved unbridgeable as they eventually lost 34-16.

Updated: 12:11 Thursday, December 19, 2002