WITH inter-club matches in full swing, The Worcestershire ladies were in action at home against local rivals Sapey.

In the 25th anniversary contest for the Redgrove Trophy, they made full use of home advantage to record a sound victory on the Malvern Wells course.

A team of nine was fielded and a Stableford format adopted with the best six scores to count towards the team’s total.

With the course playing long after recent wet weather, the scores were affected with the best for the home team being Jill Piner on 32 points.

Nevertheless, the team of Diane Meakin, Piner, Chris Urry, Jill Exell, Joyce Duncan, Corinne Mills, Vanessa Chesterton, Pat Rose and Liz Evans were able to regain the trophy with a combined score of 178 points against Sapey’s 154.

Sapey were also the opposition when The Worcestershire’s club captain Mark Read led his team to a creditable 3½-2½ away victory.

The winning pairs were Read and Roger Brierly 3&2, Mike Bothma and Jerry Hibbert 4&3 and Sam Macloed and Mike Bolton 3&2.

Andy Dunster and Gary Godwin halved their match, while there were defeats for Pete Jolley and Steve Homes and Dave Turner and Dave Flanagan.

The rain held off long enough for a mixed match to take place at home to Burghill Valley GC, which The Worcestershire won 5½-4½.

The winning combinations were Read and Evans, Paul and Diane Meakin, Roger and Jill Brierly, Andy and April Greene and Clive and Debbie Minett.

Alan Smith and Duncan secured a half.

Persistent rain did little to dampen the spirits of the home side when The Worcestershire’s seniors hosted The Vale from Bishampton.

They produced another strong home performance, winning 5-3.

Wins came from Nigel Teale and John Wright 6&4, John Duncan and Stan Jones 3&2, Phil Berry and Phil Bayliss 4&3, Dave Anderson and Terry Cox 2&1 and Dave Wood and Trevor Simmons 2&1.

Roger Blackwell and Martin Field, Tony Pawson and Keith Hitchcock and Les Facer and Barry Caswell lost.

In club competitions, inclement weather also played a factor.

Persistent and often heavy rain sent many scurrying for the clubhouse when the ladies played their qualifier for the Peugeot LGU Coronation Foursomes.

Only 10 of the 16 teams stuck it out to complete the round.

Thirty-four Stableford points were enough for Ursula Pearson and Liz Lewis to take the win.

Diane Meakin and Di Wilde were one adrift on 33 with Pauline Savage and Jenny Musson third on 32.

Pearson and Lewis will go to the area finals at Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, on July 25. Just three ladies entered the nine-hole Stableford as conditions worsened and all three finished on nine points.

The Worcestershire seniors played the first of their four tankard competitions.

Bad weather for the qualifying competition off the yellow tees reduced the field to 25.

Bayliss was best able to cope with the conditions to record a win with 35 Stableford points, one ahead of Steve Waters, and Berry was third on 32.