With two current internationals and a wealth of experience in their line-up, Middlesex hope to get off to a good start in their opening Middleton Cup County Championship match against Surrey at Century's green in Logan Road, Wembley on Saturday.

With Surrey having lost the first of their group matches against Kent last weekend, a win for the home county on Saturday, with the prospect of Sussex at Logan Road in two weeks time, will give confidence for the difficult away trips to Berkshire and group favourites Kent.

Play commences at 2pm and a good crowd is expected. Admission is free and there is ample car parking space.

With five of this Saturday's Middleton Cup bowlers, and sprinkled with internationals, Shpeherds Bush were expected to beat Century easily in a Middlesex League match on Sunday.

This was not so, however, and the visitors went home stinging from a nine-shot defeat.

With Tony Pope finishing 15 shots ahead of Terry Pettitt and Danny Donald pipping current England international Steve Tuohy by a two-shot margin, the home side capitalised on another fine league win the previous day against Nestles.

In this victory, Pope's four were in tremendous form, winning by a margin of 16 shots to see the home club through by nine.

Century ladies managed wins in friendly games against Bounds Green and Harrow, with Betty Hicks' rink and Sheila Woolgar's triple the main contributors.

Sylvia Bramley had a good win in the Champion of Champions national competition when she finished with a great flourish to win by a single shot against her Ruislip opponent Sylvia Baker.

Dave Robson, Tony Pope and Mat Hazard were also involved in a close finish when they seemed dead and buried in the Middlesex triples. With two ends left, they trailed by six shots, but by scoring four followed by three, left Wealdstone opponents skipped by Pat Ward devastated.

Up-and-coming bowler Tony Sullivan, together with Keith Gentry, Steve Stanton and Dai Conniff, all had wins in the first round of the Middlesex singles.

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