Middle collapse sees Staffordshire defeat
Staffordshire failed to get their new season off to a winning start after travelling to Surrey to get the campaign underway.
The county darters opened for 2016-17 in the BDO British Inter-Counties Championship Division Two last weekend,
They started with a win and avoided defeat at the last, but defeat in the two middle sections would prove their undoing.
Play began for two days at the Royal British Legion Club in Worcester Park, with the women's B teams first to the oche.
It started well for Staffordshire, who prevailed 5-1 from that encounter. They saved the best for last, Anne Allsop top scoring with an average of 20.99 in a 3-1 win over Kirsty Howitt (17.23).
Lauren Tomkins mustered Surrey's only reply, racking up 17.19 to see off Terry Selman (16.03) in the last leg 3-2.
The visitors lead was erased as the hosts seized the advantage through the men's B meeting, hammering their rivals 9-3.
Andrew Foster opened in style for Surrey, with 25.91 in a 3-0 whitewash of Martyn Walters (21.58). Staffordshire's Allan Carrington had 25.47 in a 3-0 shut-out of Peter Arnold (21.65).
The match was as good as over following the women's A clashes, which Staffordshire conceded by 6-0 landslide.
Apylee Jones romped to a 3-0 success for Surrey with 23.12 against Sam Prommetta (12.80). Sarah Cope's 19.48 in a 3-2 defeat to Kerry Killick (22.16) was the highest losing average.
That left the home side eight points up going into the men's A finale, where Staffordshire could only record a 6-6 draw. Surrey came from 6-4 down. Play was upgraded to best-of-seven legs.
Staffordshire's Andy Beardmore scored the highest average of the weekend, with 29.91 in a 4-0 whitewash of Graham Hollis (22.76).
Surrey's Stephen Lovett got 28.01 in the penultimate game, from a 4-1 vanquishing of Jamie Dunsdon (23.19). The match finished 25-14, with three extra points for the winning county.
Staffordshire, seventh out of eight teams in the early table, now undertake their first home fixture of the schedule.
They welcome Worcestershire of the White Eagle Club in Riverway, Stafford, on the weekend commencing October 1.
