It could so easily have been a day of triumph for Sussex.

But the Atherley Trophy inter-county championship quarter-final against Devon at Weymouth was beset by problems.

People arriving late for the coach meant a delayed departure from Worthing and then slow-moving traffic in the West Country added to the delays.

Consequently Sussex arrived at Moonfleet 2000 club 20 minutes after the scheduled starting time so there was the inevitable panic to get the game under way.

Yet despite this Sussex, apart from one rink, started well and led 64-60 after 10 ends, but after 15 they had slipped to 94-82 behind. It was 107-89 at 18 ends and the final score was 130-110 to Devon.

Five rinks coped well, but Wendy Fuller, Doris Wickenden, Mary Williams and Di Taylor were 12-0 down after five ends and when 18-2 down at 10 ends Mrs Taylor was unable to continue. Mrs Williams moved up to skip and Mrs Wickenden from two to three with substitute Sheila Moore, of Adur, going in at number two.

After 15 ends the rink were 20-5 down and things got worse as they lost 33-7 to S Harriott. Over the other five rinks Sussex 'won' the match 103-97!

Daphne Anderson, Brenda Piper, Mavis Butler and Wendy Adams had a 24-15 win over A Bunclark; Lorraine Hume, Lorraine Kemp, Carol Ashby and Pat Bain beat B. Vincent 22-18, and Sue Gunston, Gloria Michael, Betty Durrant and Rita George won 25-16 against P. Bond.

Ahead 13-7 after ten ends, Marion Chown, Pam Pile, Janet Birch and Wendy Davies had slipped to 16-15 behind at 15 ends and lost 23-19 to P. Clark.

Sue Jones, Terri Wall, Pat Pearce and Jean Bowles were 15-9 down after ten ends on their way to losing 25-13 against W. Barnard.

With delays on the return journey due to floods it was midnight before some of those in the extreme east of the county got home - and that was after leaving at the crack of dawn.

It was a shame that Sussex in arranging the neutral venue, did not find a club nearer half-way than one on Devon's doorstep.

Preston beat Adur by a slender 82-80 in the Sussex zone final of the women's national inter-club championship for the Yetton Trophy.

Preston won 41-38 over their two home rinks and Adur's two home rinks had a 42-41 margin.

When Doreen Brockes, Peggy Moore, Kathy Flood and Betty Durrant dropped six shots on their first end at Adur against Pat Essex, Shirley Moses, Linda Gray and Sheila Moore, they were up against it.

But from being 8-2 down at four ends Preston increased the length of the jack and took the next 11 ends to lead 22-8. Adur got two shots on the 16th end and, shortening the jack length again, added a further 4,3 for 22-17. A single to Preston on the 19th end was followed by two for Adur.

Being the last rink to finish and aware that Preston had a five shot lead overall, Durrant's rink played the 21st end with safety in mind and, happy to drop just three, knew the match was won. Durrant's team won 23-22 over Moore.

Also at Adur, Preston's Jan Dearling, June Clayton, Terri Wall and Sue Jones went from 13-11 down at 15 ends to 18-13 up four ends later. But they then dropped 2,5 and lost 20-18 to Linda Lester, Jenny Bainbridge, Judith Redford and Sandra Godfrey.

Ahead all the way, Preston's home rink of Brenda Bailey, Doreen Tilling, Ann Owen and Debbie Stavrou won 21-13 over Pat Haworth, Gwen Webster, Audrey Donno and Jan Livingston.

Sheila Miller, Bridget Parr, Pat Pearce and Jean Bowles led 14-8 after ten ends before going down 25-20 to the visiting four of Brenda Piper, Ann Crouch, Sue Warner and Iris Grice.

Bridget Parr is not available for the last 16 round match against Atherley on February 8 and it is hoped Ann Millward will be fit to take her place.

In the Sussex pairs, Pat Brickley and Charles Wright (Gullivers) won 11 of the 20 ends to triumph 28-20 over Wealden's Brian Hough and John Riddles.