It was sunshine all the way – well, almost - for Cheam in the opening friendly matches of the 2011 bowls season. A confident 22 shot victory over Malden Manor was followed by a 37 shot win at Dorking. But it all came just a little unstuck in the mixed match against Wallington, the visitors scraping home by two shots.

Reg Nelson, in particular, has enjoyed his start to the outdoor season, in the highest winning rink in all three games and collecting 82 shots in the process with only 24 conceded. He’ll be hoping that the Selectors take note.

In the preliminary rounds of the National Men’s Top Club competition, both Cheam teams have been drawn away – on 7 May to Purley Bury and on 17 May to Felbridge, and in the National Men’s Double Rink, it will be a local derby at Sutton.

Cheam 78 Malden Manor 56 Rink One: Cheam: Dave Constable, Colin Popple, Reg Nelson 26 Malden Manor: John Paton 7. Rink Two: Cheam: John Baker, Mark Harding, John Parsons 15 Malden Manor: Tony Joselyne 17. Rink Three: Cheam: Derek Morris, Chas Smith: David Coward 27 Malden Manor: Dave Allsop 13. Rink Four: Cheam: Keith Atkins, Ted Bennett, Gary Stevens 10 Malden Manor: Ray Eden 19.

Cheam 86 Dorking 49 Rink One: Cheam: Keith Atkins, Reg Nelson, Mike Appleford, Eamon Nolan 30 Dorking: Padgham 8. Rink Two: Cheam: Colin Popple, Dave Self, John Parsons, Mike Haigh 15 Dorking: R Webb 16. Rink Three: Claude Barrett, Mike Taylor, Ron Willson, David Miller 18 Dorking: P Millson 17 Rink Four: Cheam: Alan Gover, Dave Constable, Gary Stevens, Mike McDonagh 23 Dorking: J Mason 8.

Cheam 114 Wallington 116 Rink One: Di McDonagh, Jeanne Coleman, Derek Morris, Reg Nelson 26 Wallington: Margaret Woods 9. Rink Two: John Allen, Michelle Self, David Coward, Diane Hannon 16. Wallington: Bill Ayling 30. Rink Three: Cheam: Anne Coward, Aaron Harding, Mark Harding, David Miller 28 Wallington: Geoff Collier 12. Rink Four: Cheam: Lilian Barrett, Dave Self, Mary Cathcart, Keith Atkins 10 Wallington: Keith Woods 27. Rink Five: Cheam: Mildred Barney, Dave Constable, Rosemary Curtis, Gary Stevens 12 Wallington: Gillian Farnish 19. Rink Six: Cheam: Claude Barrett, Angela Sugden, Peter Pankhurst, Mike McDonagh 22 Wallington: Van de Roy Parker 19