The first week of the National Championships at Beach House Park in Worthing has not gone to plan for Surrey competitors, although there has been some excellent play.

It all kicked off with the HSBC national junior (U25) singles, with 64 players representing 35 counties across the country.

Surrey were represented by Cheam BC players Gareth McDonagh and Daniel Morris.

The latter was drawn against Liam Stevens of Suffolk in the first round, who proved more than a stumbling block.

Time after time, Morris was holding shot until his opponent beat it, often with his last bowl.

Morris eventually lost 21-13 but did not play poorly.

By way of contrast, McDonagh came through his first two rounds, first a 21-16 victory over Phillip Harvey from Northumberland and then a 21-15 success over John Usher of Bedfordshire.

In round three, he played close friend Paul Woolford of Kent. Honours were fairly even until the halfway mark but superior drawing from the Kent player enabled him to pull away to win 21-11.

On Sunday, the preliminary round of the Friends of English Bowling-sponsored fours competition started, with Surrey champions Sutton BC involved.

Represented by Neil Asten, Terry Buckland, Keith Adams and Steve Shanley they were drawn against a very strong Carnon Downs BC from Cornwall.

The game was a real cliff-hanger, with the result not decided until the final bowl.

The Sutton team just shaded the game by only one shot, winning by 21-20.

However, on Monday morning, the Sutton team met their match when they were well defeated by Buckinghamshire A represented by Slough BC by 20-9.

Surrey’s other representatives, Roger Bell, Roy Spencer, Barry Martin and Steve Tuohy from Egham BC, were drawn against Stenalees BC from Cornwall but they could not quite hold their West Country opponents and went down 23-16 to cap a black Monday for Surrey.

On Wednesday and Thursday, fortunes dramatically improved for Surrey in the Aviva national triples competition.

County finalists Cheam, represented by Mick Gray, Mike Appleford and Gary Stevens, went down 24-12 to a talented triple from Cambridge & County, who went on to win the competition.

But county champions Croydon, represented by Ted Barlow, Alistair Howick and Grahm Vigor, defeated Wootton Bassett BC from Wiltshire 24-15 and, in the afternoon, tackled a Leicestershire triple from Blaby BC, whose three competitors in this competition were in the rink who, the previous day, had won the national fours title.

The match was a close affair but Croydon triumphed 17-14.

Meanwhile, the Egham trio – made up of Paul Sheridan, Ben Garden and Tuohy – beat a Lebury BC from Herefordshire 23-11 and Bristol Greenbank BC from Gloucestershire 23-17.

Both Surrey met their match in the third round on Friday morning. The Croydon triple found their Manchester Commonwealth BC opponents too good, as they lost 19-15, while Egham were challenged by the same Cambridgeshire triple who had previously beaten the Cheam triple.

This match was very close, however, before the Cambridge & County BC triple eased home 17-15, their closest match of the whole series.