West Witney saw a late charge sink their title hopes in the last 16 of the Yoplait Men's All England Bowls Fours Championship at Worthing.

Mike Hitchcox's West Witney team put up a good fight against Andrew Kirtland's side from Darlington Railway before bowing out 23-14.

Hitchcox, world indoor pairs champion Les Gillett, Dale Hall and Peter Maisey, were just one shot adrift when they trailed 7-6 after eight ends.

However, they were then hit by a five at the next end and faced a 12-6 deficit.

Gillett and company battled back, scoring six shots over the next six ends, slashing the gap to 14-12, but the loss of a treble and single saw them facing an 18-12 deficit after 17 ends.

Gillett pulled back a double at the next, but Kirtland won the contest.

In the opening round, West Witney had swept aside Mark Read's team from Stenalees, Cornwall 23-14 and then accounted for Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire, by the same margin.

Meanwhile the Summertown four of Norman Wallace, David Wedge, Robin Hewson and Alan Ley swept through their first-round clash with Grahame Luker's team from Weston, Bath, 20-13.

However, in round two Ley's quartet lost by a single shot by Stuart Thomas's team from South Derbyshire.

In a knife-edged battle, the Summertown men hit back from 12-8 down to narrow the gap to 14-13 with two ends to play.

Thomas, who had the youngest ever player to qualify for the championships 13-year-old Darren Allsopp operating as his No 2, notched a single at the penultimate end.

Although Ley finished with a single, Thomas scraped through15-14.