YORK'S John Emmerson ran into two bowls legends as he and his Yorkshire team-mates tried to reach the final of the Men's All England National County Top Four championship at Worthing.

Emmerson, a twice Middleton Cup champion from the Holgate Club, operated at No.3 to Nafferton's Mark Walton against a Kent quartet which included former world indoor pairs champions Gary Smith and Andy Thomson.

Emmerson and company were sent reeling as Thomson charged into a 6-0 lead over the first three ends of their semi-final clash.

The Yorkshiremen notched a single at the next end, but they were soon in deep trouble as Thomson piled up 13 shots over six successive ends, extending his advantage to 19-1.

Emmerson and Walton who had the Middlesbrough players Shaun O'Brien and Vinny O'Neill at the front end, battled their way back, scoring a double, a treble, a five and a double at four of the next seven ends, but they still trailed 23-13 and eventually went down 28-14, conceding defeat after 19 of the scheduled 21 ends.

Smith, 42, is hanging up his woods to become the bowls' world supremo next month, but his hopes of a glorious swansong slipped away in the final when he and Thomson fell victim to Suffolk's shock troops, skipped by Adrian Holden.

Holden inspired his underdogs to an 18-15 victory over the Kent superstars in the final to take the title.

Updated: 11:36 Tuesday, August 28, 2001