Surrey make winning start

5:29pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

Surrey, under new president Frank Dodd, have made a winning start to the season, writes Mike Haigh.

Surrey beat Cambridgeshire 130-97 on Croydon MO's excellent green last week.

Both counties won three rinks, but Surrey's were more emphatic with Dave Candeland, Patrick McFadden, Paul Bennett and Mike Haigh winning theirs by 19 shots.

Gary Wilkinson, who won the county unbadged singles title in 2007, and Paul Foley, a semi-finalist in the county triples, were awarded their county badges by Dodd.

Rink 1: Surrey: Robin Street, Gary Wilkinson, Dennis Williams, Paul Chuter 17 Cambridge 18. 2: Deric Homes, Ralph Bailey, Eddie Evans, Jim Green 17 Cambs 21. 3: Peter Duncan, Paul Foley, Ian Ross, Frank Dodd 28 Cambs 17. 4: Dave Candeland, Patrick McFadden, Paul Bennett, Mike Haigh 29 Cambs 10. 5: Brian Wilkinson, Peter Burke, Peter Staples, Mike Reed 24 Cambs 13. 6: Keith Searle, Terry Foote, John Roll, Paul Wessier 15 Cambs 18.

Surrey followed that with a 126-109 victory over Warwickshire at Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday. Each side won three rinks, but Deric Homes, Roger Tarran and Julian Astill helped president Dodd's rink to a 23-shot victory.

Surrey face Gloucestershire at West Wimbledon today (Wednesday).

Rink 1: Warks 15 Surrey: Bob Archer, John Neale, Eddie Evans, Mike Reed 17. 2: Warks 14 Deric Homes, Roger Tarran, Julian Astill, Frank Dodd 37. 3: Warks 19 Peter Duncan, Ron Shuttleworth, Jim Mason, Joe Cable 18. 4: Warks 19 Robin Street, Ian Black, Vic Hemmett, Jerry Ingham 20. 5: Warks 23 Stephen Sanderson, Richard Hodgkinson, Jack Turvil, Ray Wrenn 22. 6: Warks 19 Edward Dear, John Neale, Eddie Evans, Jim Green 12

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