GARETH Hastie won his first Mitsushiba northern merit tournament -- at a course where he hit his lowest point in his Lancashire career less than a year before.

Then the Bolton youngster walked off Southport and Ainsdale after losing his singles match against Cheshire's Ray Hughes and told the county to exclude him for the rest of the season.

"I was not good enough and felt I was letting the team down," admitted 22-year-old Hastie who recently switched clubs from Dunscar to Lostock Park

But his victory in the Southport and Ainsdale Bowl has sent a clear signal to the Red Rose selectors that he's ready to return to the fold.

After stringing together rounds of 70 and 73, one-under-par all told, scratch player Hastie passed on the credit to Hart Common professional Gareth Benson.

"My swing had been all over the place but he's got me hitting straight again," he said.

The printer, who next week will combine a business trip to Dublin by playing in the Irish Amateur Championship, fired a mixed bag of birdies and bogeys in his first round

"I did not have a course planner so I was unsure of my distances," he added after marking down only one par in the opening nine nine holes.

His second round followed a similar pattern with four birdies on the outward half as he finished three shots clear of Stockport's David Peel.

Peel's Cheshire team-mate, James Murphy, from Shrigley Hall, leads the order of merit after finishing fifth to add to his opening victory in the Crosby Plate. sc pic with photogs

Gareth Hastie (Bolton) 70 73 143; David Peel (Stockport) 72 74 146; Andrew White (Pleasington) 76 72 148; Gavin Bowers (New Mills) 72 76 148; David Nelson (Northenden) 77 72 149; James Murphy (Shrigley Hall) 77 72 149; Darren Johnson (St Annes Old Links) 76 73 149; Garry Boardman (Pike Fold) 77 73 150; Neil Self (Stand) 76 74 150; Phillip Hurst (Gathurst) 74 76 150; Roger Smithies (Manchester) 73 77 150; Stephen McIver (Ellesmere) 76 75 151.