DEFENDING champions Lanarkshire South kept their hopes alive of retaining the Andrew Hamilton Trophy after winning their Scottish Cities & Counties quarter-final clash against North Section winners Highland at Kinnoul.

The reigning champions had wins on the rinks skipped by Scot Simpson, Jim Meikle and David Gardner to thank, while John Simpson and Iain McLean finished all square and Highland's only consolation win came courtesy of Sandy Wyllie over Ian Campbell.

West Section runners up Renfrewshire West were made to walk a tightrope against East Section winners Edinburgh & Leith at Bainfield and despite winning on only two of their six rinks, a 23-18 win for Steven Fisher against Paul O'Donnell and a 22-16 win posted by Derek Moffat against Jamie Gracie was enough to see them over the finishing line by the narrowest of 114-112 victories.

Last year's beaten finalists West Lothian are also through to Saturday's semi-finals. They eased past West Section winners Glasgow West with five winning rinks in their 135-97 victory at Kilwinning with only Kevin Bain saving Glasgow's blushes.

South Section winners Wigtownshire also came away with a five rink win with Alain Hainey the only defaulter as he lost to Matthew Norrie in their 125-105 victory over North Section runners up Northern Counties.

With a place in the final at Ayr Seafield on Saturday, July 18 up for grabs, Lanarkshire South will now clash with Renfrewshire West at Abbeyview while Wigtownshire and West Lothian will go head-to-head at Cardonald in Glasgow in Saturday's semi-finals.