CHESHIRE suffered a blow when their bid to win this season’s British Senior County Championship started with a defeat against South Yorkshire on Sunday.

Their opponents, runners-up in 2018, claimed a narrow victory in both legs.

A slow start at Rudheath Social Club in Northwich, where the visitors prevailed in the first three head-to-heads before Daniel Nixon (Wharton Cons) halted their momentum.

Captain Rob Winnington (Castle) raised hopes of a recovery when he began the middle four by beating Sam Day before clubmate Mike Yearsley edged out Paul Bailey.

However Jonathan Sneddon was the pick of South Yorkshire’s seven winners, recording an impressive 21-7 win against Steve Morrey (Castle) at the finish after Castle’s Steve Curbishley – a 21-4 conqueror of Joe Westall – had appeared to wrestle back control for Cheshire.

It left the teams separated by three chalks on aggregate.

The story was a similar one at Rotherham venue Dearne Sports where there were decisive single-figure wins in the closing stages for Cheshire’s Lee Johnstone, who won to seven, and Andrew Sorsby for South Yorkshire.

His side prevailed by 16 chalks overall and set the pace in Section Two.

Warwick & Worcester, the defending champions, provide the opposition for Cheshire next month.

Isle of Man have withdrawn from the group.

Results

British Senior County Championship

Section Two

Cheshire v South Yorkshire

Sunday, May 5

At Rudheath Social Club

Tom Vickers (Wharton Cons) 15-21 Richard Atkin (Bradfield)

Andy Hamman (Castle) 18-21 Paul Wildgoose (Whiteley Woods)

Dave O’Brien (vice-captain, Castle) 19-21 Robert Thompson junior (Abbey)

Daniel Nixon (Wharton Cons) 21-10 Matthew Bower (Meersbrook Park)

Robert Winnington (captain, Castle) 21-18 Sam Day (Bradfield)

Glynn Cookson (Wharton Cons) 15-21 Stuart Thompson (Maltby)

Mike Yearsley (Castle) 21-19 Paul Bailey (Meersbrook)

Adi Faulkner (Castle) 16-21 Andrew Whitaker (Meersbrook)

Steve Curbishley (Castle) 21-4 Joe Westall (Meersbrook Park)

Neal Ocego (Frodsham RL) 19-21 Dean Missere (Meersbrook)

Jason Cornes (Castle) 21-19 Gary Hanson (Bradfield)

Steve Morrey (Castle) 7-21 Jonathan Sneddon (Meersbrook Park)

Cheshire 214-217 South Yorkshire

At Dearne Sports

Chris Brown (Woodlands Park) 19-21 Tommy Johnstone (Houldsworth WMC)

Kevin Nixon (Armthorpe Welfare) 21-15 Phil Davies (Comberbach)

Ross Meese (Maltby) 21-16 Carl Armitage (vice-captain, Houldsworth WMC)

Danny Sillitoe (Maltby) 13-21 Dave Phillips (Lloyd Hotel)

Chris Kelly (Bradfield) 21-14 Noel Burrows (Sale Excelsior)

Jack Clarke (Meersbrook) 21-19 Dave Jackson (Railway Mobberley)

Nick White (Stocksbridge Friendship) 15-21 Jamie Bramley (Lloyd Hotel)

Glyn Davies (Maltby) 18-21 Andy Birtles (Wilmslow)

Ryan Clark (Bradfield) 21-19 Larry Wells (Houldsworth WMC)

Richard Jackson (Stocksbridge Friendship) 7-21 Lee Johnstone (Houldsworth WMC)

Mark Booth (Armthorpe Welfare) 21-10 Neil Smith (Houldsworth WMC)

Andrew Sorsby (Meersbrook) 21-8 Ben Phillips (captain, Lloyd Hotel)

South Yorkshire 219-206 Cheshire

South Yorkshire win by 16 chalks on aggregate