There was a rare victory in the preliminary round of the men’s national pairs when Cheam’s Alan Gover and Eamon Nolan shocked Yorkshire’s Scott Burrell and England ace Mark Walton 19-17.

However, the joy was short-lived as they lost 18-16 to Gloucester City in their next game. In the national mixed fours, skip Dennis Hennessy’s entry with Southey team-mates Debbie Souter and Caroline Duarte, plus Weybridge’s Dave Clark, were pipped 20-16 by an experienced Leicestershire four skipped by Blaby’s Andy Irons at the last 16 stage.

Woodbridge Hill’s Nick Carroll and Duncan Heard crashed 33-7 to Northumberland in the first round.

Weybridge’s Paul Vamvacopoulos and Mark Bishopp beat Northants pair Andrew Manton and Vernon Geary 20-13 in their first round match.

But, in the second round, they blew a 14-5 lead over Essex County’s John Stewart and Mark Morhall to lose 20-15.

In the over-55 pairs, Epsom Park’s Keith Webbon and Joe Stevens lost 21-19 to Robert Burton and Charles Fardell, of Shepshed Town, Leicestershire.

Stevens overpowered Nottinghamshire’s Keith Hallam 21-8 in the first round of the over-55 singles and then beat Hertfordshire’s PeterAdams 21-4 in the quarter-finals.

That brought a semi-final against Gloucestershire John Heathcote and that produced a 21-7 success.

But, in atrocious coniditons, Stevens went down 21-17 to Oxfordshire’s Colin Whitehead in the final.

Surrey men’s singles champion Terry Friday, of Egham, was Surrey’s best performer in the blue riband Surrey men’s singles.

He beat Dorset’s Wayne Garnett 21-13 and Warwickshire’s Mike Hawkins 21-12, but went down 21-13 to Nottinghamshire’s Steve Bailey at the last 16 stage.

South London’s Mick Ryan lost 21-16 to Hawkins in the first round while Chipstead’s 18-year-old Damien Olver lost to Essex’s Steve Mitchinson.

In the national mixed pairs, Wiltshire’s Debbi Avon and Graham Shadwell proved too good for Old Coulsdon’s Debbie Sarratt and Purley Bury’s Paul Bennett, winning 28-12 at the last 16 stage.