BRING on Hampshire! That was the cry from Dorset after they demolished Somerset 120-99 in the second round of the Liberty Trophy at Bournemouth.

The result represents a startling improvement by Dorset who had slumped by 27 shots to the same opponents in the first round last year.

Now Steve Gait’s men face Hampshire in the quarter-finals, also at Bournemouth, on Saturday, January 17 (10am).

That should be a battle royale – especially as Dorset skips Martyn Sekjer and Peter Ward helped Hampshire win the 2007 Liberty final and Hampshire skip Adam Tidby was Dorset’s player-manager when they last reached the last eight five years ago.

Just what an asset Sekjer has been for Dorset was proved once more against Somerset when his rink roasted Richard Billington 32-10. Last winter Billington had been the thorn in Dorset’s flesh at Taunton with a 34-14 verdict but this time Sekjer’s rink took the Bridgwater man apart.

Sekjer, who rattled up a 37-10 result against Cornwall, set the tone with a first-end three and well though his colleagues played the skip stole the show with some exquisite conversion and draw shots.

After a tight contest Barry Patterson finished with a flourish to overcome Mark Denslow 25-15 while, like Sekjer, player-manager Gait opened with a three that triggered a 20-15 victory against his former county.

Ward chimed in with Dorset’s fourth rink success shading John Hick 17-15 following a nip-and-tuck affair.

The Chris Daniels quartet did little wrong but came under the spell of Somerset and England star Graham Shadwell who posted a 23-7 win and, just as he had done in the first round against Cornwall, Nick Voss led early on only to be shaded 21-19 by Neil Williams.

Overall Dorset were never headed. Boosted by the confidence of the Cornwall triumph they opened up a 29-shot gap at one stage and, though the margin shrunk to 13 around the 11/12-end mark, the hosts stuck to their task and kept the opposition at arm’s length.

Hampshire – runners-up to Durham last season – went through 110-104 against Surrey at Egham. Other quarter-final ties: Lancashire v Norfolk, Lincolnshire v Cambridgeshire, Devon v Berkshire.

RINKS, Dorset 120 Somerset 99, at Bournemouth: Jamie Lockwood (Dorchester), John O'Donnell (Bournemouth), Ben Paulley (Dolphin), Peter Ward (Bournemouth) 17 John Hick 15; Kevin Downs (Bournemouth), Derek Ames (Dolphin), Martin Pavey (Dorchester), Martyn Sekjer (Bournemouth) 32 Richard Billington 10; Gary Fountain (Dolphin), John Crabb, Neil Burroughs, Barry Patterson (all Moonfleet) 25 Mark Denslow 15; Martin Puckett, Ed Hughes, Dave Smith (all Moonfleet), Nick Voss (Dorchester) 19 Neil Williams 21; Ron Sparks (Dolphin), Terry Chivers, Michael Hutley, Chris Daniels (all Bournemouth) 7 Graham Shadwell 23; Alec McKenzie, Phil Lawrence (both Dolphin), Doug Rumble, Steve Gait (both Moonfleet) 20 Clive Benham 15.