WILTSHIRE slipped to defeat in their opening Inter-County Championship match at Weston-super-Mare yesterday, despite a promising start in the morning singles.

The county, skippered by Cumberwell Park's Ali James, opened their South West Week campaign in Somerset against Dorset and led after 5-3 the opening phase.

Garry Slade (Bowood), Tom Law (Broome Manor), Wrag Barn debutant Max Drayton, Kingsdown's Paul McMullen and Jake Bolton (Ogbourne Downs) all recorded victories, but Dorset turned the tables in the afternoon foursomes, which they won 4.5-1.5 to wrap up a 7.5-6.5 triumph.

Law and Drayton were the only Wiltshire pair to manage a victory.

Wiltshire were playing the host county today, with matches against Cornwall, Devon and Gloucestershire to follow this week, as well as the South West Amateur Championship and South West Youth Championship tomorrow, which also incorporates the qualifying round for the English Men’s County Championship, which Wiltshire won in 2011 and 2012.

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