17th May 2009

LINCOLNSHIRE TAKE EASTERN INTER COUNTIES TITLE......

In a thrilling finish to four rounds of three-ball foursomes, played over the weekend, Lincolnshire just squeezed home this afternoon at a very windy, and sometimes wet Seacroft GC.

With 10 pts available in each round of matches, to each team, Lincolnshire took 6 on Saturday morning from the match with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk and followed that up in the afternoon with an excellent 8.5 pts, from Leicestershire & Rutland and Norfolk.  Overnight Lincolnshire led with 14.5 pts from both Essex and Hertfordshire who were on 12.5.

A stunning haul of 9 pts from the match with Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire increased the lead to 3.5 pts from Hertfordshire (20), with Essex a further half-a-point back.

The final round of matches saw Lincolnshire up against their two closest rivals and led to an incredibly tense afternoon.  Essex, the defending champions,  made a very strong start and looked to be en route for a dramatic victory but their efforts were finally quashed when Lincolnshires final pairing of Veall and Sheriff secured a vital win over their Essex counterparts on the 17th green.

Lincolnshire's pairings throughout the weekend were: James Burnett (Sleaford) and Steve Dixon (Normanby Hall), Simon Richardson (Boston West) and Adam Wainwright (Gainsborough), Levi Desmond (Belton Woods) and Sam Sharpe (Greetham Valley), Liam Bell and Steve Brattan (both Cleeethorpes) and, Ben Sheriff (Gainsborough) and Matt Veall (Seacroft).  Ably led by Captain, Les Toyne and Vice Captain Paul Morrison, this was a fantastic team performance.  However, special mention and congratulations go to the pairing of Burnett/Dixon who, despite playing at the top of the order in each round of matches, took the maximum 8 pts from their matches...a very rare feat. 

Final standings: 1 Lincs (27.5 pts), 2 Essex (26.5), 3 Herts (24), 4 Leics & Rutland (22.5), 5 Cambs (19.5), 6 Northants (17), 7 Norfolk (16.5), 8 Beds (16), 9 Suffolk (10.5).