WILTSHIRE'S hopes of reaching Worthing for a second successive year in the inter-county championship hang in the balance.

They were surprisingly beaten at home by five shots by Worcestershire in their opening Middleton Cup group match at Wootton Bassett on Saturday.

Last year Wiltshire won all three games in their South Midlands section and then beat Oxfordshire to reach the semi-finals at Worthing only to miss out by six shots to eventual winners Devon.

But in their first Middleton Cup match of 2004 Wiltshire had to give second best to a Worcestershire side who gained revenge for a three shot home defeat last year, when they were beaten 122-117.

A closely fought contest ebbed and flowed and was eventually settled on the last end of the last match.

Wiltshire trailed 35-24 overall after five ends but led 58-48 at 10 ends.

But at 15 they had gone behind again and trailed 83-77 and were 105-97 adrift at 18 ends.

They tried to rally but could only reduce the gap to five shots in a tense finale.

Wiltshire took the honours on three of the six rinks but suffered a heavy loss on the rink skipped by Mark Dyer that proved crucial in the final analysis.

Rinks one and two skipped by respectively by Ian Jefferies and Graham Shadwell were always ahead and recorded eight and nine shot successes, while Neil Smith's quartet just edged home by one shot.

Dave Snell's rink were pipped on the last end by a shot while Steve Warren's foursome lost by four. But the crunch came on rink four where Dyer trailed 11-6 at ten ends and only pulled in another five shots to go down by 18.

"It was very disappointing to lose our opening game at home," said team manager Hedley Bowen.

"At least we managed to win on three of the six rinks and take six points, but at this level of bowls you can't lose 18 shots on one rink and expect to win.

"Two good results in our next two matches could see us through but realistically it is now out of our hands and we have to rely on the other results.''

Wiltshire's next Middleton Cup group match is against Herefordshire at Ross-on-Wye on June 19 and then Warwickshire at Wootton Bassett on Saturday July 3.

The group winners will progress to the quarter-finals.

Results: Rink 1: Barry Sictorness, John Williamson (Wootton Bassett), Gary Morphet (Rodbourne Cheney) and Ian Jefferies (Westlecot) beat Adrian Burbidge 24-16.

Rink 2: Malcolm Webb (Holt), Russell Francis (Spencer Moulton), Keith Hutchens (Westinghouse) and Graham Shadwell (Spencer Moulton) beat Paul Speake 27-18.

Rink 3: Kevin Embling (Westlecot), Mick Crook (Amesbury), Andy Moore (Spencer Melksham) and Dave Snell (Wootton Bassett) lost to Rob Stanley 19-20.

Rink 4: Mel Biggs (Westlecot), Ian Williams (Purton), Neil Hope and Mark Dyer (Westlecot) lost to Rob McCaughtrie 11-29.

Rink 5: Graham Hatherall (Westlecot), Chris Cheesley (Purton), Mike Jackson and Neil Smith (Westlecot) beat Edric Vorsterman 17-16.

Rink 6: John Thomas, Tony Stevenson (Westlecot), Steve Snell (Wootton Bassett) and Steve Warren (Westlecot) lost to Dean Hemming 19-23.

Wiltshire (6pts) lost to Worcestershire (16pts) 117-122.

Other results: Warwickshire (16) 121 Herefordshire (6) 99; S-West Group: Gloucestershire (4) 102 Somerset (18) 120; Devon (18) 114 Cornwall (4) 107.