THE Worcestershire seniors’ match captain Nigel Teale led his squad to a sound victory over the club’s ladies in the first of their two golf encounters of the season.

Difficult playing conditions, created by maintenance work on the green and wet conditions from earlier rainfall, appeared to better suit the men as they won the match 3½-1½ .

Teale and David Radley beat captain Elsie Kelsall and Pauline Belsham 4&2, while Terry Cox and Phil Bayliss defeated Jen Bishop and Davina Taylor 5&3.

Ron Gordon and Peter Kirton saw off Pam Emery-Reynolds and Jane Poynder 5&4 and Jill Exell and June Jones beat Keith Hitchcock and Ted Smith 3&2, while the match between James Ferguson and Tony Cox and Pat Rose and Joyce Duncan was halved.

The Worcestershire ladies played nine and 18-hole competitions at the Malvern Wells club.

Norma Pottinger eased out Pauline Taylor on countback to take the honours in the nine-hole stableford with both players recording 17 points.

Jenny Jones secured third place in the same manner over Davina Taylor with both on 15.

Cynthia Guest, Liz Gordon and Cathy Harris headed the field in the 18-hole alliance with a score of 78 points, one ahead of Vanessa Chesterton, Pauline Belsham and Janet Manning-Cox.

Three teams vied for third with scores of 76.

Kay Bromley, Penny Stevenson and Jos Penrhyn secured the slot ahead of Pauline Savage, Ruth Scott and Jenny Musson and Elsie Kelsall, Jenny Nions and Laura Speers.

In a relatively small entry Andy Longley and Graham Chatterton carded a better-ball score of 47 points to lift the Chairman’s Cup.

Ian Belsham and Mike Hill were two adrift on 45 with Colin Jones and Jim Wilde third on 43.