DORSET are booked for the group wooden-spoon after losing their latest Middleton Cup match to fellow strugglers Wiltshire.

Both sides went into the fixture at Chippenham without a win but Dorset were left marooned in the basement after being crushed 20-2 (154-105).

Manager Brian Shepherd said: "It just isn't happening for us this season. We are not showing enough concentration at vital stages of matches - against Wiltshire we were only a few shots adrift at the three-quarter stage but then it slipped away from us big time.

"I must be honest and say that we are not playing to our full potential. I am still convinced that the players I have are good enough but it is finding the right blend in the rinks, trying to get people in the right positions."

After such a fine campaign in 2005 when Dorset went close to qualifying for the quarter-finals losing narrowly to both Devon and Cornwall the last two seasons have been such a disappointment.

Dorset finished without a victory in 2006 and unless they show rejuvenated form in their final match against the Cornish at St Austell on Saturday, July 7, that unhappy record will be repeated.

Barry Patterson (23-21) saved Dorset from a whitewash against the Moon-rakers. In a close encounter the Greenhill skip stretched 22-16 clear on the 19th before being pegged back by Russell Francis.

Bob Atkins (Poole Park) trailed 18-17 but was holding four shots on the next end until Neil Smith benefited from a double wick to gain a three that helped the host county take that rink 22-18.

Branksome Park's Mike Grimsdale also fell by four (17-13) having been 13-8 up on the 15th. His new-look rink was only two down on the 20th but holding two on the final end until Keith Hutchens swept in for a two himself.

Behind 22-12 at 15 ends Mark Tomberry kept battling against Graham Shadwell and made late in-roads to cut his final deficit to 25-19 against the redoubtable international.

However, Tomberry's Wimborne colleague Craig Shepherd went in the other direction tumbling 37-15 to Dave Snell after being only 20-15 in arrears on the 15th. The usually reliable Stacey Dickinson was always struggling in a 32-17 defeat by Mark Dyer.