More Home Counties gloom for Surrey

12:54pm Tuesday 20th May 2008

Team manager Dave Candeland rang the changes for Surrey's second Home Counties League game at Middlesex, but could not stop his side going down to a 120-107 defeat, writes Mike Haigh.

Having braved the FA Cup Final traffic to get to Finchley, it was a second successive defeat for Surrey.

The two rinks Surrey won were liberally sprinkled with younger bowlers and skipped by North Sheen's Darren King and Gareth McDonagh of Cheam.

The defeat means Surrey have taken just eight of the 44 points on offer from their opening two league matches and, with the Middleton Cup coming up, Candeland faces some difficult selection issues.

Surrey's next Home Counties League match is against Oxfordshire at Croydon this Saturday (2pm).

Rink 1: Middlesex 11 Surrey: Daniel Morris, James Bruder, Graham Spencer, Gareth McDonagh 22. 2: Middlesex 27 Alkesh Vadher, Arnie Lewis, Andrew Richardson, Mike McDonagh 13. 3: Middlesex 21 Andy Gladwell, Brian Cave, Julian Astill, Eamon O'Flynn 18. 4: Middlesex 25 Ricky Corne, Adam White, Duncan Heard, Ian Ross 15. 5: Middlesex 22 Stephen Spencer, Charles Bruder, David Allen, David Clark 16. 6: Middlesex 14 Doug Spittles, Paul Foley, Paul Bennett, Darren King 23.In contrast, Surrey have won all four of their county friendlies so far. The latest match saw Surrey win on four out of six rinks to beat Essex 116-96 on an excellent green at Southey BC (Raynes Park).

Deric Homes (Weybridge), Dick Cummins (Norbury), Kevin Donovan (Purley) and Mike Reed (Croydon MO) achieved the best rink prizes, while Martin Harbottle (Epsom) and Ian Acus (North Sheen) were both presented with their county badges.

Today, Surrey are visiting Ventnor BC on the Isle of Wight and they host Hertfordshire at Putney Town next Tuesday (2pm).

Rink 1: Surrey: Andrew Sturton, Ian Acus, Richard Cushen, Bill Searle 21 Essex 12. 2: Vic Painter, Vic Francis, Alan Bennet, Jim Scott 20 Essex 11. 3: Peter Miller, Martin Harbottle, George Sperring, Frank Dodd 14 Essex 25. 4: Deric Homes, Dick Cummins, Kevin Donovan, Mike Reed 26 Essex 11. 5: Trevor Pocock, Cecil Pocock, David Miller, Jim Green 13 Essex 22. 6: Michael Ware, Aga Hassan, Ted Exall, Mike Haigh 22 Essex 15.

Surrey U25s ran out 94-63 winners over Buckinghamshire in their Junior Home Counties League opener at Leatherhead on Sunday.

They host Oxfordshire U25s in the National Two-Fours at Leatherhead this Sunday.

Rink 2: Surrey: Charlie Souter, Martin Olver, James Bruder, Steven Higginbotham 16 Bucks 19. 3: Charles Bruder, Ross Marshall, Daniel Morris, Matthew White 26 Bucks 15. 4: Arthur Young, Chris Sewell, Greg Barnett, Gareth McDonagh 26 Bucks 14. 5: Marcus Street, Joshua Grant, Adam Clarke, Adam White 26 J Elliott 15.

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