Norfolk suffered double disappointment at the weekend with defeats to Essex in both the Eastern Counties League and the White Rose Trophy.

Norfolk travelled to Westcliff-on-Sea on Saturday for their third match in the Eastern Counties League but lost their 100 percent records when they were sent down by 109 shots to 137 taking six of the 22 points at stake.

The rinks skipped by Andy Siely & Gary Goodrum recorded wins along with the officers rink skipped by Barney Wymer, but the three other rinks had heavy defeats. Whilst Norfolk started the match well leading by nine shots at five ends, Essex took control from that point taking the lead at 10 ends, a lead they built steadily over the second half of match to secure a comfortable victory.

Rink scores: Barry Footer, Chris Gaul, Chris Rowe & Peter Boldero 9 Ed Morris 32; John Colcombe, Clive Derry, Simon Elliott & Andy Siely 28 Richard Telling 20; Gary Mallett, Ryan Garman, Tony Seabourne & Mark Turner 14 James Rippey 24; Peter Roseblade, Danny Mills, Colin Scott & Gary Goodrum 18 Ray Bone 14; Tom Baker, Aaron Stimson, Alistair Stevenson & George Tubby 13 Andy Squire 22; Mark Elliott, Peter Cottee, Alan Willer & Barney Wymer 27 John Tully 25.

On Sunday, the White Rose Trophy was a closer affair with the match in the balance until the closing ends but it was Essex who finally came out on top winning by five shots to progress to the regional finals.

Rink scores: Ryan Garman, Luke Preston, Dan Seabourne & James Segolo 14 Charlie Butcher 27; Jack Larter, Aaron Stimson, Danny Mills & Tom Segolo 21 Jake Roberts 13.

Attention now turns to the Middleton Cup which starts next Saturday when Norfolk meet Huntingdonshire at Brampton Institute BC. The county will be looking to put a couple of disappointing years behind them where they have failed to qualify from the group stages with a good run in the competition in which will be Brian Taylor's last year as team manager.

The team selected shows a few changes last year and is: Dan Mills, Ian Wones, John Ottaway & David Smith; Tom Baker, Mick Brown, Mervyn King & Philip Barr; John Tufts, Matt Flatman, James Segolo & Wayne Willgress; Max Harrison, Adrian Folker, Andy Siely & Peter Boldero; Barry Footer, Aaron Stimson, Tom Segolo & Peter Wilkinson; Dan Seabourne, Bernie Perrett, Mark Turner & George Tubby.