THE Worcestershire men fielded a strong team to take on Worcestershire and Herefordshire ladies in a unique annual fixture.

Conceived to provide the county team with a stiff challenge at the start of their season, this year’s contest lived up to all expectations.

The four-ball, better-ball format, with the ladies receiving three shots, proved perfect for a tight contest with three of the four games going to the 18th hole.

In the first match, The Worcestershire’s regular ‘A’ team captain Andy McCabe and playing partner Tom Howells were beaten by Karen Greenfield and Haley Noel one-up.

But father-and-son pairing Dave and Josh Marshall won by the same margin against Anna Rock and Phoebe Stanley.

Richard Sebok and Steve Carter lost 3&2 to the in-form pairing of Ellie Lawrence and Aimee Field in the third game.

The men’s county seniors partnership of Mark Read and Neville Clarke took the last match one-up against Cath Francis and Harriet Matthews.

The result, in an enjoyable and birdie-fuelled contest, was a fitting 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, in inter-club contests, The Worcestershire ladies were well up to the challenge.

Playing singles match-play, the Scratch League team of Lucy Walton, Di Meakin, Jackie Marks, Alison Tuck and Pauline Belsham got their season off to a fine start with a 4-1 home win over Edgbaston.

Playing off handicap in an annual fixture against Worcester Golf and Country Club, a team from the Malvern Wells club secured a 41-stroke win to lift the Kathleen Noble Trophy.

The result was determined by totalling the best eight nett medal scores from each 12-lady team.

In club competitions, a ladies’ three-ball alliance saw a convincing win for Tina Jukes, April Wilding-Greene and Belsham with 79 stableford points.

They finished ahead of Mary Horrobin, Liz Bird and Vanessa Chesterton (75) and Penny Stevenson, Joan Herbert and Isobel Carmichael (74).

Pauline Taylor won the nine-hole event ahead of Christine Goody.

Members took to the course in pleasant, dry conditions for the club’s annual mixed closed meeting.

The winners once again were the sound pairing of April and Andy Greene on 38 stableford points ahead of Alison and Barry Tuck, who eased out Di and Paul Meakin with both on 36 points.