Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to meet in title showdown
19th September 2013Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will go head to head tomorrow in a title-deciding match at Women’s County Finals at Wilmslow, Cheshire.
“It’s the grand finale!” said Lincolnshire captain, Cindy Ireland. “What a great finish to the week – the two teams in contention playing each other.”
Yorkshire, who beat Hertfordshire 7-2 today, are the tournament leaders with four points from four games. Lincolnshire are just behind them with 3½ points after defeating Warwickshire 5-4 today to maintain their unbeaten run.
Meanwhile Gloucestershire, who beat Kent 5-4 today and are third in the table, will play Hertfordshire who are lying fourth. The third match will pit Warwickshire against Kent, who are both seeking their first win of the week.
Today’s matches were played in testing conditions – rain in the morning and a cold, blustery wind in the afternoon – but the players met the challenge with excellent, battling golf and a series of tense matches.
Lincolnshire, for example, were 2-1 up after the morning foursomes, but the scoreline hid the drama: two of their three pairs were one-down playing the last and both won the hole to snatch halves.
In the afternoon Warwickshire challenged strongly and Claire Howells claimed their first point, helped by four birdies in five holes around the turn. She was followed by Katrina Gani and, later, Charlotte Dalton, who won despite a knee injury.
But Lincolnshire’s Emilee Taylor won a top quality game against Abbey Gittings in the lead singles, while the team’s two 16-year-olds, India Clyburn and Emily Slater, successfully delivered their points at the end of the order to give Lincolnshire the win.
Yorkshire’s winning score looks very comfortable, but they had to withstand a determined Hertfordshire onslaught in the singles.
The foursomes had gone Yorkshire’s way, 2½-½, but as the singles went through the turn, the team was up in only one game. The first match was won by Hertfordshire’s Lucy Goddard and the second was halved – but the remaining four Yorkshire players all finished strongly to win their games, three of them on the 18th.
Yorkshire captain Carole Waights said: “They came at us really hard on the front nine, but the girls dug deep and pulled it out of the bag. I am so proud of every one of them.”
In the day’s other match, Gloucestershire laid the foundations of their win by capturing all three foursomes. They managed to win only two of the six singles – thanks to Bethan Popel and Grace McLaughlin – but it was enough to secure their point.
After four matches Yorkshire have four points, Lincolnshire have 3½, Gloucestershire have 2½, Hertfordshire have 2. Kent and Warwickshire have yet to win.
Tomorrow’s matches: Lincolnshire v Yorkshire, Hertfordshire v Gloucestershire, Warwickshire v Kent
Results
Kent 4 Gloucestershire 5
Foursomes
Marnie Barber & Fiona McCann lost to Shelby Smart & Bethan Popel 4/3
Jerri Sewell & Mollie Lawrence lost to Alexandra Saunders & Jemima Gregson 4/2
Sandy Catford & Ainee O'Connor lost to Lucy Padley & Alison Kelly 3/2
Singles
Barber lost to Popel 3/1
Emily Royer beat Smart 2/1
Tita McCart beat Saunders 1 up
Sewell lost to Grace McLaughlin 2 down
Lawrence beat Victoria Wakeley-Jones 5/4
Cloe Frankish beat Gregson 2/1
Yorkshire 7 Hertfordshire 2
Foursomes
Emma Brown & Becca Wood halved with Steph McEvoy & Ella Ofstedahl
Rochelle Morris & Kirsty Beckwith beat Alison Franklin & Lucy Goddard 4/2
Charlotte Austwick & Ellie Goodall beat Charlie Field & Jackie Foster 2/1
Singles
Megan Lockett lost to Goddard 5/3
Austwick halved with Nicola Callander
Morris beat Ofstedahl 2 up
Holly Morgan beat Field 2/1
Beckwith beat Lucinda Mileham 1 up
Goodall beat McEvoy 2 up
Lincolnshire 2 Warwickshire 1
Foursomes
Jessica Wilcox & Emma Tipping halved with Abbey Gittings & Lisa Barton
Emilee Taylor & Sophie Beardsall beat Katrina Gani & Rachel Rusted 3/1
Emily Slater & India Clyburn halved with Charlotte Dalton & Claire Howells
Singles
Taylor beat Gittings 2 up
Wilcox lost to Dalton 2 down
Helen Hewlett lost to Howells 4/3
Beardsall lost to Gani 3/2
Clyburn beat Hannah Coles 4/3
Slater beat Lisa Barton 5/4