MIDDLETON Cup manager Phil Williams has picked his Herefordshire men’s bowls team for their opener against Dorset on Saturday, June 1.

The Holmes family will feature prominently for Herefordshire - with father Mike and his two sons, Tom and Dan, all travelling to Bath for the curtain-raiser.

The men warmed up for their campaign with a convincing victory over their female Herefordshire counterparts in a trial match at Weobley.

The men won six of the seven rinks against the women but Williams is expecting a tough season ahead.

“It’s going to be hard for us because we are one of the smallest counties in the competition,” admitted Williams.

“We have played Dorset for the last two years and we have managed to beat them twice. We are hoping for another good result against them.”

Herefordshire’s Middleton Cup season also includes fixtures against Cornwall on June 8; Somerset on June 22 and Devon on July 6.

l Herefordshire’s team for the match against Dorset: Rink one: Tom Holmes (Ledbury), Ivan Beasley (Ross), Richard Cook (Ross), skip - Phil Middleton (Ross).

Rink two: Dan Holmes (Ledbury), Phil Holland (Hereford), Mike Holmes (Ledbury), skip - Mike Ricketts (Ledbury).

Rink three: Richard Arrowsmith (Brimfield), Mark Herbert (Eastnor), Tom Churchill (Eastnor), skip - Ashley Edwards (Brimfield).

Rink four: Steve Jones (Eastnor), Colin Walters (Bodenham), Dan Palmer (Ross), skip - Shaun Jones (Ross).

Rink five: Connor Diggins (Kingsland), Keith Caldicutt (St Martins), Martin Smith (Ross), skip - Rob Gwilliam (Ross).

Rink six: Dave Bithell (Kington), Dave Holloway (Leominster), Paul Rainthorpe (Ross), skip - Ron Bithell (Kington). Travelling reserve: Mike Simon (Weobley).

Williams has also picked his Herefordshire team for the National Double Rinks against Dorset at Bath on June 9.

q Herefordshire’s first rink is an all-Ledbury side: Dan Holmes, Mike Holmes, Luke Harwood, skip - Mike Ricketts. The second rink is: Dan Palmer (Ross), Martin Smith (Ross), Sean Jones (Ross), skip - Phil Williams (Hereford).