Golf by Alan Booth AFTER their inaugural victory as champions of the newly-formed East Region a year ago, Herts Ladies repeated that success in brilliant style at Stockbrook Manor Park Golf Club in Essex last week when they again won all five matches aga

Golf by Alan Booth

AFTER their inaugural victory as champions of the newly-formed East Region a year ago, Herts Ladies repeated that success in brilliant style at Stockbrook Manor Park Golf Club in Essex last week when they again won all five matches against opposing counties.

They now go through to the finals of the English County Championship at Pleasington in Lancashire in September.

"The girls were magnificent," said Herts captain Ann Green. "They made up a superb team who were in terrific form. They did so well in the foursomes to send them into the singles full of confidence."

Herts opened on Monday against formidable opponents in Essex and had an early shock when Herts champion Alison Franklin and Harriet Key went down 6&4 in the opening foursomes, but Lucy Williams and Charlie Field by 4&3 and Tina Jeary and Steph McEvoy 2&1 made it 2-1 and Alison responded by winning her singles 3&2, with Charlie Douglass 6&5, Harriet Key 2&1 and Hannah Burke halving for an overall 51/2 to 31/2 win to give Herts a victory they knew was vital, as Essex went on to win their four remaining matches and take second place.

On Tuesday against Norfolk, Herts won all three foursomes and followed with four of the six singles for a 7-2 win, with outstanding foursomes wins by Franklin and Key 8&7 and Douglass and McEvoy 6&4, with Williams and Field coming through by one hole. Burke by 9&8, Douglass 7&6, Key 4&3 and Lucinda Mileham 3&2 followed with singles wins.

On Wednesday against Suffolk Herts again won all three foursomes - Burke and Douglass 5&3, Williams and Field 3&2 and Jeary and Mileham 4&2, only for Suffolk to fight back for a 3-3 tie in singles and a 6-3 result. Burke had a walkover, her opponent being injured, and other wins came from Mileham 2&1 and Williams 6&4, with Lucy Glyn losing on the 18th by two holes.

Thursday saw Herts again win all three foursomes, this time against Bedfordshire -Franklin and Key 8&7, Williams and Field by one hole and Douglass and McEvoy 6&4, and followed with four of the six singles, Douglass 7&6, Burke 9&8. Mileham 3&2 and Key 4&3, for a 7-2 win.

Finally, on Friday Herts completed their fifth win against Cambs/Hunts 6-3, winning the foursomes 2-1, with wins for Franklin and Key by two holes and Jeary and McEvoy 3&2 and the singles 4-2, with wins for Franklin 2&1, Field 3&2, Key 3&1 and Williams 8&7.

In both foursomes and singles Herts gained some outstanding results - in foursomes 8&7 by Franklin and Key against Norfolk and 5&3 against Bedfordshire, 5&3 by Burke and Douglass against Suffolk, 4&3 by Williams and Field against Essex, 6&4 by Douglass and McEvoy against Norfolk, 4&3 by Jeary and Field against Bedfordshire.

In singles, 6&5 by Douglass against Essex and 7&6 against Norfolk, 5&3 by Burke against Suffolk and 9&8 against Norfolk, 9&7 by Williams against Cambridgeshire/Huntingdon and 6&4 against Suffolk, 5&4 by Field against Bedfordshire.

At the same time there were some hard-won matches, with the Herts players winning and losing on the 17th and 18th greens, among the winners being Key 2&1 against Essex, Mileham 2&1 against Suffolk, and Franklin 2&1 against Cambs/Hunts, with Franklin losing by one hole against Norfolk and Burke losing by one hole against Cambs/Hunts.

In the demanding schedule, all the players were rested during the matches, with Harriet Key playing in nine of the 10 and Alison Franklin in eight.

For the second year Harriet Key won the Mary Oliver Brooch for the most points in county week, this time 61/2.