BOWLS: Huntingdonshire 79 Suffolk 40. Suffolk's Under-30 EBA team were beaten in their opening Eastern Counties League fixture at the Brampton Institute BC.The visitors included five new faces in their line-up and were against a side fresh from a heavy win over rivals Norfolk.

BOWLS

SUFFOLK'S Under-30 EBA team were beaten in their opening Eastern Counties League fixture at the Brampton Institute BC.

The visitors included five new faces in their line-up and were against a side fresh from a heavy win over rivals Norfolk.

On rink one Lee Garwood skipped with Ian Moore at lead, Michael Rice at two and Stuart Gaught, back from a national junior trial, supporting at three.

The green took water well and it turned into a fantastic struggle against a Hunts rink skipped by S Laws. The game stood at 19-19 with one end to play.

Hunts number three Tristan Morton broke up a Suffolk winning lie and ditched the jack. Garwood's last wood settled third and Hunts took the rink.

Richard Leeder skipped a young rink with Alistair Cook at lead, Ben Beamish at two while Darryl Snell capped a fine opening performance at three.

They raced into a five-shot lead but were pegged back and found themselves 13-5 down. The Suffolk side rallied to regain the advantage but luck seemed to favour Hunts with any movement of woods or jack. The visitors put in a strong finish but lost out by three shots.

The third rink was skipped by Matthew Smy and had an average age of 16.

They were faced with the daunting task of taking on a rink containing two junior England internationals.

It was obvious the Hunts' lads were in no mood to give anything away as time and again heads were changed and Suffolk had no answer to some awesome play.

Mark Roberts at lead, Michael Thorrington at two and James Davis maintain their spirit despite a heavy 38-4 defeat.

The four shots were really the only time a formidable Hunts rink let their guard down.

End summary (Suffolk first) L five ends 18-7, ten ends 14-42, 15 ends 27-56, 21 ends 40-79.