HERTS LADIES, first champions of the newly-formed East Region, bid for the title of English champions against five other regions in the national final at Long Ashton, Bristol, next week. Each day from Monday to Friday they will meet rival region champions

HERTS LADIES, first champions of the newly-formed East Region, bid for the title of English champions against five other regions in the national final at Long Ashton, Bristol, next week.

Each day from Monday to Friday they will meet rival region champions, first Warwickshire, then joint Leicestershire/ Rutland, followed by Yorkshire, Dorset and Sussex.

Apart from one change, Herts will field the same team which became first winners at Newmarket in June of the East Region title. Hannah Burke, who has been on vacation from Baylor University in Texas, will be playing for the American team in the world universities championships in Sun City, South Africa, and from there returns for a new term in Texas.

Her place is taken by Charlie Douglass, who missed selection at Newmarket due to England commitments, and she completes the team of Charlie Field, Jackie Foster, Alison Franklin, Lucy Glyn, Tina Jeary, Harriet Key, Steph McEvoy, Lucinda Mileham and Lucy Williams.

A win for Hertfordshire would give them their first England county title, having twice previously finished runners-up to Yorkshire in 2000 and 2001.