AN epic match play tussle graced The Worcestershire over more than five hours of quality competition.

Jamie Dunster (handicap 1) and Lee Whittall (6) met Phil Shurmer (3) and Nick Smith (6) to determine the men’s winter better-ball knock-out winners.

Although delayed, the final at the Malvern Wells club lost none of its intensity with the momentum shifting back and forth between the closely-matched pairings.

With nothing between the sides after 18 holes, the match continued on a sudden-death basis and, in an apparently unprecedented sequence, the pairs proceeded to halve the next seven.

It was not until the eighth sudden-death hole when Dunster and Whittall finally secured a hard-fought victory to lift the trophy.

Meanwhile, The Worcestershire men’s A team boasted sound experience and youthful exuberance when they recorded their best away result for some years at 2014 champions Sapey with a 4-2 success.

Performance of the day came from debutant Ben Wickett (12) with three birdies and he was ably supported by the consistent Richard Sebok (5), who got up and down out of the bunker on the 18th hole to secure a one-up win.

Bill Thomas (12) and captain Andy McCabe (5) proved too strong with a fine 3&2 victory, while the experienced Phil Birch (6) and Andy Fleming (12) won 2&1 as did the established pairing of Dave Marshall (1) and Steve Carter (11).

Unlucky to lose on the last were another debutant Richard Higgs (11) and Tom Howells (2), while the same fate was met by club champion Jason Allies (3) and Paul Wakely (11).

Mixed match-play saw The Worcestershire draw 6-6 at home to local rivals Worcester Golf and Country Club in good conditions.

There were wins for ladies’ captain Pam Emery-Reynolds and her husband Ian, Brenda and Trevor Cox, Jill and Brian Piner, Corinne and Nigel Mills, Jane Tromans and John Flanagan and April and Andy Greene.

Club captain Steve Bradshaw led a men’s team to a new fixture at Newport, Gwent, and, despite a fine course and weather, the result was less inspiring with The Worcestershire losing 4-1.

Bradshaw and Chris Hardy battled back from four-down at the turn to draw their match as did Gary Eames and Andy Dunster, who halved on the last after being one-down following 17 holes.

Roger Brierly and Mike Bolton lost two-down and Dave Turner and Dave Flanagan 2&1 as did Mike Bothma and Sam Mcleod, while Mark Read and Pat Mcllroy fell 3&2.

The Worcestershire ladies met a tough challenge from visitors Droitwich in a greensome foursomes match, going down 3-1.

The winning home pair were Joyce Duncan and Pauline Savage with the team led by ladies’ vice-captain Jill Mico.

In stroke play, Ian Belsham and Dave Stephens each recorded 40 points to win in the men’s midweek stableford.

Belsham (11) came home three strokes ahead of Nick Scanlan (13) in Division One with Josh Marshall (8) third on 36.

Stephens led Division Two by the same margin followed by Will Brimmell (24) on 37 and Ken Willett (20) on 35.

The Worcestershire’s ladies played a qualifying round for the national Coronation foursomes competition.

Leading the pack home convincingly were Jen Bishop and Penny Stevenson with 37 stableford points.

Alison Tuck and Jackie Marks beat Di Meakin and Duncan on countback to secure second with 34.

Jennifer Bunyan won the nine-hole stableford with 17 points, one ahead of Anne Goode.