underway in their strive for a 4th straight league win of the season.

After 5 holes he and his partner James Bromley were 2 down following some short game indifference, this would be the least of their problems. After a practice putt on the 5th green to try to get a feel for the pace of the excellent Maxstoke Park greens Sam strode to the 6th tee in a determined steely mood to redeem the early deficit, likewise James to the 7th tee and Sam again at the 8th tee.

It was then whilst walking down the 8th fairway that it dawned upon their opponents that if Sam had tee'd off at the 1st on 'odds' how come that he was now teeing off on the 8th on 'evens'?

You will need to ask both Sam and James this as it would be a very long story with claim and counter-claim as to who was at fault, the only important fact at the end of the day is that they eventually lost 3 & 2.

So after the fun and games of the 1st match how were the rest of the

2nds doing?

It is fair to say that after 9 holes everything was not going to plan with the 2nds being behind in 4 matches, up in 1 match and halving the other. The small band of anxious county supporters whose glasses seem permanently half empty were sampled for their opinion of what a good lunchtime score would be?

The consensus being that if we could somehow restore parity and start the afternoon singles level it would be a goodback-nine foursomes effort.

Handsworth's Karl Smith and home club member Antony Gascoigne couldn't shake off their opponents and walked off the 18th green all square.

Atherstone's Gary Greenway & Paul Walker gave their opponents a 3 hole start through 6, before slowly reeling them in to eventually win 2 & 1. Likewise the all Coventry pairing of Hearsall's Harry Ibbertson & Finham's Charlie Higgens at 2 down after 12 holes would win 4 of the

next 5 holes to notch another unlikely 2 & 1 victory.

Another home club member Steve Creed and his partner Shaun Young of Stoneleigh Deer Park were also playing catch-up golf down the front 9 holes before drawing all-square and finally getting their noses in front at the 12th hole. Their opponents immediately struck back and the match would eventually arrive at the 18th tee all-square. Steve found fairway, Shaun found green and when Steve then found the hole from some 30 feet another deep wound was inflicted into the now ailing Derbyshire side.

Salt would then rubbed in by Stoneleigh Deer Park's Nev Gardner and his Coventry Hearsall partner Stuart Bloxham with another 2 & 1 win.

Lunch was therefore taken with the 2nds leading 4.5 v 1.5 after an astonishingly resilient foursomes comeback.

Sam Foster led out the singles and with his mind still 'doing the maths' of the morning his golf suffered as he went down to an uncharacteristic 5 & 4 loss. Antony Gascoigne used his local knowledge to full advantage with a 4 birdie blitz from the turn to win 4 & 2.

Despite getting to the turn with a slight 1 hole advantage Karl Smith would arrive at the 18th tee all-square, a leaked drive would see him miss the 18th green with his approach and then just fail to get 'up and down' to lose 1 down.

Gary Greenway on the other hand was in imperious form, 6 birdies including a wedge spinning back to an inch at the 12th to an appreciative watching crowd would send his opponent for an early bath and a 6 & 5 to think about.

To say that Paul 'Bink' Walker was slow out of the blocks in the afternoon would be too much of an understatement, a par at the 5th hole and a fist-pumping cry of 'stopped the rot!' would see him turn around a daunting 4 down after 4 into an incredible 1 up victory by winning the

tough Maxstoke Park 18th hole.

James Bromley's maths improved in the afternoon adding-up to a 2 up win before Charlie Higgens would bravely fight back from 3 down to be just 1 down on the 18th tee, despite appearing to be favourite to draw level after the tee shot's circumstances would conspire to see Charlie halve the hole and lose 1 down.

Harry Ibbertson recently won the Maxtoke Park junior open and it is clearly a golf course that he enjoys playing as he

was always in control of his match and as he confidently strode up the 18th fairway to win 2 up his point would seal the overall victory for the 2nd's.

With the match in the bag it was again left to the tail to add to the 'goal difference'. Local knowledge again came to the fore when a buoyant Steve 'a scratch man at last' Creed romped home 5 & 4 closely followed by Shaun Young with his own 2 & 1.

Former Maxstoke Park member Stuart

Bloxham succumbed to a narrow 1 down loss, leaving Nev Gardner to close

his match out against a despondent Derbyshire captain in front of the

gathered throng around the 18th green with an impressively struck approach shot followed by a delicate nudge to the hole side to win 1 up.

The final score therefore was Warwickshire 2nds 12.5 points beating

Derbyshire 2nds 5.5 points.

As is the custom the after-match meal is taken with players and officials changing into more formal dress, many have county blazers and ties, others wear smart lounge suits, occasionally the style and fit of these can be open to question (if not ridicule)?

It is strange how the fashion conscious can sometimes be unaware that certain styles and fits require a certain body shape and stature. A certain (not to be named) 2nd team player would be advised to listen to his county colleagues when they tell him that 'slim fit' shirts akin to those bodysuits worn by Olympic swimmers require the wearer to be

somewhat tall and athletic in their build. The sight of the aforementioned player whom can at best be described as portly almost rotund wearing button-popping attire created a great source for

amusement for this high spirited group of 2nd teamers.

Finally late into the evening a text message arrived telling of a narrow

9.5 v 8.5 Staffordshire victory against nearest league rivals Worcestershire. This puts the 2nds a clear 2 points (with a very healthy goal difference) ahead at the top of the table with one match remaining which happens to be away at those nearest league rivals

Worcestershire at Stourbridge Golf Club on Sunday 4th October.

If my maths (not Foster's, nor Bromley's) is correct we need to score a

minimum of 4.5 points from a total of 18 points on the day to be crowned champions on goal difference.

This however is the minimum target, the clear and unequivocal objective will be to go to Stourbridge and finish the season off in style with the win that would see the 2nds undefeated to all-comers in 2009.

We shall have to be at our very best as I am sure Worcestershire will do all in

their powers to ensure that this does not happen.

The 2nd team squad would like to thank the support today of the ever-present president-elect John Powell, county secretary (and match starter) Graham Hayes and county card scheme chairman John Stubbings.

For the full match scorecard CLICK

HERE

For pictures of players from today CLICK

HERE