'We've only lost once ever - when I couldn't wake David up and we had to give the opposition the match - a pairing that started with when I filled in for Peter Chalkley.'

For the Atherstone team of Phil Challis and Paul Taylor, it was a case of having the lead twice in the 36 hole final and losing the lead once to a run of Copt Heath birdies and more crucially, the second time to a string of their missing fairways.

'Some tee shots early on in the second 18 cost us', said Challis.

Walker added, 'Where we missed we couldn't put it on the greens.'

This was a second loss in a Bainbridge final for the more than twenty years experienced Challis who had missed out when paired with Ronnie Hiatt against Tony Allen and Alan Rock. There is though a Bainbridge win on Challis's CV when paired with Gerry Oxford and when two up after 13, Atherstone were looking for a couple more holes to give them a good lead at lunch.

Instead they saw two Copt Heath birdies make the match all square and it was only a Fleet and Harben mistake on the 18th which took the match back to level.

Challis and Walker were one up again after four holes of the second 18. The next was halved in birdies but poor driving cost the North Warwickshire club two of the next three holes, the Fleet three iron from over 200 yards into the par five 8th setting up a Copt Heath eagle to take that hole.

Atherstone clawed a hole back at the 9th (27th hole of the match) then lost the long 11th (the 29th) to a par and missed the opportunity off a big drive at the next to go back to 1 down. They did however birdie the par four 14th and standing on the tee of the par three 16th (the 34th hole of the final), Harben answered the miss right by Challis by sticking a nine iron to five feet, a putt which Fleet duly holed after Walker had nearly chipped in from under a tree.

Two solid shots to the 35th and the title was going to Solihull though as another Atherstone missed fairway meant no chance of a birdie to take the Championship to the last.

Fleet and Harben have only really played this year as a pairing, and have that one 'loss' on their card when Fleet overslept and missed an early round a couple of years ago. They have continued the success of McEvoy, Chalkley and the like in taking the huge trophy back to Copt Heath and Fleet mentioned how well his partner had done despite the responsibility of being Scratch Team Captain for the club. They should put up a formidable defense of the trophy when it celebrates its 100th year, along of course with the Warwickshire Union itself, in 2006.

The match was refereed by Warwickshire Union President Jim Dean, who also presented the prizes to the delighted winners. Thanks went to Maxstoke Park GC for their hospitality and courtesy of the course for what was a very good final.

A large number of pictures has been added to the Gallery for this Championship, in County Men | Knockouts | Bainbridge | Pictures