Shropshire beaten in tough darts opener
Shropshire came off second best in their BDO British Inter Counties Championship opener with defeat in all four matches against formidable rivals.
They toed the oche for the first time in their new Division Four campaign against Montgomery & Radnor and were beaten 24-12,
Bridgnorth's Castle Hall was again their home venue for the visit of a fellow fallen side, with both dropping out of Division Three in recent years.
And Shropshire found it tough going from the off in the ladies 'B' stakes, losing 5-1 with Lady of the Match Lynne Watton's sole reply, as she averaged 16.14 in a 3-2 last leg win over Louise Davis.
Eight debutants took to the stage for the men's 'B' side and valiantly went down 7-5, with Man of the Match Richie Parker averaging 28.90 in a 3-0 whitewash of Lee Davis.
The ladies 'A,' like their 'B' counterparts, won just one game and conceded five, with Marie Riggs a shut-out 3-0 loser despite registering 21.43.
Steph Clarke pulled one back for the team on her county debut, clocking up 17.09 in a 3-1 success over Rachel Williams.
It was deja vu again for Shropshire when the men's 'A' team were downed 7-5 in the fourth and final affair, despite Kevin Harris' 25.76 in a last gasp 4-3 vanquishing of Mitch Butler.
The county throwers will now regroup ahead of their first away trip of 2015-16 on the first weekend of next month, when they travel to Bristol to take on the West of England.
