'With possibly six holes to go in the top match and the rest all stacked behind, we were probably looking at a 5-4 overall win. Then back came Yorkshire and all credit to them, they were superb.'

Warwickshire were 2-1 down at lunchtime. The key part of this result was the start from Yorkshire in matches two and three. In Match 2, Yorkshire opened with a birdie, followed it with an eagle and then made three at the par four third. That became a 5&4 loss for a shell-shocked Rory Kirwan and Rob Steele. It got worse for Steele in the afternoon!

In the third of the foursomes, our last two Warwickshire Amateur Champions Paul Randle an Ben Stafford had to hole some good putts and watch a couple of Yorkshire mistakes to stay in the first four. They soon were in front and on the 7th, a perfect Randle approach to a foot gave them a two hole lead they built on to go out winners 5&3.

It didn't start perfectly in the singles. Andy Sullivan was 2 down after just three bu he started the team's superb run of play, notably three birdies in a row to be one up with five to play.

Behind Sullivan, Rob Steele was making the first of his birdies on the 6th. Four more would follow, plus an eagle, and on a day when it was very windy, with frequent rain showers, Rob only missed two greens in the 18 holes he played.

There was never more than a hole in match three which featured Matt Cryer. Possibly the key hole was Matt's three putt on the 8th, when he could have gone two up.

At the rear of the field, Ben Stafford was doing just as he had done in the morning, building a steady lead and then letting nothing slip away. That seemed a Warwickshire point guaranteed. In Match five, David Hayes was also up, so with only Paul Randle down to England International John Parry, Warwickshire looked as if hey would take the singles.

Then it all went wrong as back came Yorkshire with some unbelievable golf. Sullivan lost the 15th to an eagle, despite hitting his tee shot over 350 yards, when he was faced with a superb Yorkshire approach. Losing the 16th and 17th and that match was gone.

Matt Cryer did the same as Sullivan on the 17th, finding the front bunker to go one down. He could not find a birdie at the last so that was another Yorkshire point. They only needed on more and that would come from their player who beat Rob Steele, Rob going round in a 68!

David Hayes was rested for the foursomes and he seemed to have his match under control. However, on the last five, David had five putts of under 15ft and missed them all, also to lose on the last.

This now means Warwickshire must record a big winning margin in one of their last two matches against Gloucs and Surry, and hope that Yorkshire cannot continue their superlative play from today, if we are to have any hope of winning the Championship itself.

EGU County Finals 2006 - Princes GC, Kent - Day 1 - Match scorecard

This is the full match scorecard from Warwickshire vs Yorkshire.

Warwickshire names first -

Foursomes

Matt Cryer and Andy Sullivan lost to James Mason and Stephen Uzzell 2&1

Rob Steele and Rory Kirwan lost to John Parry and Nick McArthy

Ben Stafford and Paul Randle beat Gareth Evans and David Appleyard 5&3

Warks 1 - Yorks 2

Singles

Sullivan lost to Mason 2&1

Steele lost to McArthy 1 hole

Cryer lost to Uzzell 1 hole

Randle lost to Parry 5&3

Hayes lost to Appleyard 1 hole

Stafford bt Evans 3&2

Warks 1 Yorks 5

Overall

Warks 2 - Yorks 5