The performance of the younger players impressed the selectors at the Sussex trials at Beach House Park (Worthing) where the Blues beat the Whites 118-96.
Ian Harvey, Alan Clarke, Dave Hesketh and Richard Moses were top rink for the Blues. They scored a five on the second end against Dave Hubbard, Graeme Geddie, former Middlesex player Mark Jones and Peter Gunston, who got a five back on the ninth end. From leading 22-9 at 15, Moses won 25-14.
Robin Armstrong, Trevor Monk, Matt Bonnar and Frank Armstrong, from 11-11 at ten ends, led 22-11 at 15 but only won 24-22 over Matt Ives, Peter Tandy, John Gockelen and George Shaw.
From 10-8 ahead at ends, Lindfield's Dave Richardson, Chris Reynolds, Keith Holman and Ian Watson beat Roger Rosenberg, Tony Clarkson, Nick Dudman and Derek Dyer 19-12.
After trailing 13-7 at ten ends, Preston's Adrian Finnie, Andy Smalldridge, Dave and Ollie Ovett won 19-16 over Chris Pettit, Clayton Cosgrove, Trevor Vine and Basil Holding.
Also 19-16 winners, after leading 12-4 at ten ends, were Gareth Bevan, Charles Wright, John Hooker and Steve Jeapes against Lee Cooper, Steve Sands, Phil Hillsden and Terry Stevens.
The only Blues rink down was that of Chris Rose, Marc Lancaster, Ken Holden and John Sullivan who lost a tight game 16-12 to Eric South, David Parks, Ted Cousins and Ralph Lonsdale.
The Sussex team to meet Kent at Loose in the first Home Counties League match of the season today: Parks, Monk, Hooker, Jeapes; Hubbard, Smalldridge, Holding, Dave Ovett; Cooper, Reynolds, Holman, Watson; Ives, Sands, Gockelen, Simon Pettingel; Rosenberg, Bonnar, Anthony Bull, Leigh Prince; Martin Biggleston, Alan King, Dyer, Gunston.
Pettingel, Bull, Prince, Biggleston, King were unavailable for the trial.
Also announced following the trial was the team to play Middlesex in the League on June 2 at Century.
Sussex: Tony Dade, Tandy, Jones, Pettingel; Robin Armstrong, Hillsden, Vine, Holding; South, Geddie, Cousins, Lonsdale; Richardson, Lancaster, Shaw, Gunston; Clarkson, Dudman, Bonnar, Frank Armstrong; Bevan, Clark, Dave Hesketh, Dyer.
Not considered for the Middlesex game were Finnie, Smalldridge and father and son Ovett, Dave and Ollie, who the following day at Sandwich will represent Sussex against Kent in the first round of the EBA Top Rink Inter-County Championship.
The team to play Buckinghamshire at Preston (2pm) on June 9 in the first inter-county championship group qualifying match for the Middleton Cup will be selected after the league match against Middlesex.
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