Chichester's Rod Jamieson, Vic Mitchell, Ricky Hobbs and Robert Adams fought a rearguard action for 20 ends in the Sussex fours quarter-finals at Lindfield.

They then turned the tables on Lewes' Don Cager, Jack Kellary, Mike Marshall and Alex Parsons by getting three shots on the last end to win 17-15.

There was not a single Sussex Middleton Cup player on view when the ties were played at their traditional home in Mid Sussex.

Chichester had been 7-1 down after five ends but slowly closed the gap and drew level at 13-13 on the completion of the 17th end.

The good start (10-8 at ten ends) of Norfolk's Ray Leggett, Ken Botting, David Murrell and Malcolm Hosking was wiped out over the next two ends by Paul Pryke, Peter Gardner, Reg Humphrey and Trevor Monk, but after that the Northiam team did not score another shot, losing 20-10.

Mackie's Ted Bates, Alan Piper, Brian Batchelor and Dave Stevens just had the edge on Hove and Kingsway's John Beirne, John Kroshus, Tony Owen and Peter Hubbard, leading them all the way and winning 18-11.

After trailing throughout, Hollingbury Park's Bert Gurr, Barry Fordham, Peter Woolmer and Pat Flood kick-started their challenge with a five on the 12th end against John McCarthy, Tony Bacon, Keith Fox and Derek Wells of Victoria Drive and eventually won 24-16.

Semi-finals: Hollingbury Park v Norfolk; Mackie v Chichester.

Nine years ago Derek Ridley, after being involved in smallbore shooting, badminton and cricket, took up bowls and until this season had not played in a county competition.

However, the 65-year-old retired estate agent of the Tarring Priory club jumped in when David Fairs' Sussex Pairs partner Derek Homes was not fit enough to play and now they are into the quarter-finals and Ridley admitted: "I just cannot believe it."

Fairs, 58, who took up bowls 13 years ago, also appears in the last eight of a county event for the first time.

They booked their place with an impressive 24-13 win at home to Roger Faithfull and David Mahoney of Worthing Pavilion. Ricky Hobbs and Brian Talmage of Chichester won 19-16 at home to Charlie Phipps and Mel Lilleywhite of Witterings.

Due to a holiday Dave Woosnam misses the quarter-finals so David Yeo is expected to come in as his substitute to partner Dave Moses as the Mackie pair face a tough task against Keith Holman and Ian Watson of Lindfield.

Ridley and Fairs will also be up against it when they meet Bill Hilliard and Simon Pettingel of Popes Mead. Hobbs and Talmage take on John Beirne and Tony Owen of Hove and Kingsway and the other tie is Paul Hampson and Jim Preston of Eastbourne against teenager Steve Holland and Colin Murray of Bexhill.

Sussex changed from having a team manager with selection responsibilities to a selection committee for this season's Middleton Cup inter-county championship programme but there was no improvement in results - the fourth and final game against Surrey at the Mid Surrey club ending in defeat as the previous three had.

Sussex were beaten 130-98 with the points 18-4 leaving Kent as qualifiers for the quarter-finals and Surrey group runners-up.

David Hubbard, Andy Smalldridge, Basil Holding and Ollie Ovett had a 20-15 win over Barry Jenkins while Charles Wright, Alan Clarke, John Hooker and Steve Jeapes won 23-21 over Paul Vamvacopolus.

Tony Dade, Dave Hesketh, Anthony Bull and Frank Armstrong lost 24-16 to Eamon Nolan. Robin Armstrong, Clayton Cosgrove, Mark Jones and Ralph Lonsdale dropped a five on the 17th end, which was their undoing as they lost 17-14 to John Sussex.

Martin Biggleston, Keith Holman, Simon Pettingel and Ian Watson lost 29-12 to Phil Rogers, while Adrian Finnie, Ken Holden, Peter Gunston and Dave Ovett lost 24-13 to Wynne Richards.

Sussex held on to win 117-111 over Cambridgeshire at Lindfield.

A few days after celebrating his 77th birthday Worthing's Bill Smithers marked the award of his county badge in fine style as a member of the top rink along with Colin Atyeo (Field Place) and Ron Cocozza and John Schools of Tarring Priory. They had a 36-18 win over Gerry Painter.

Debut-making Brian Sherrell (Field Place), Derek Heather (Preston), Dave Welsh (Hurstpierpoint) and Rod Taylor of Horsham won 22-14 over Brian Forsdike. John Wright (Gullivers), Ron Smith (Spartans) and Mike Good (Eastbourne Redoubt) and Paul Hampson of Eastbourne won 19-16 against Bill Corolan. Smith and Good both got their county badges.

Ken Moore (Hollingbury Park), debut man Tony Sharman (Hangleton), Graham Evans (Southwater) and Frank Hole of Horsham won 21-20 against Malcolm Turner. Adam Harding and debut-making Dave Butfoy of Lindfield with Tony Willson (Eastbourne) and Alan Clarke of Lindfield led 17-9 at 15 ends but lost 22-17 to Alan Holdsworth.