Our only point of the morning came from the Kenilworth pair by 3&2, in level par golf Another Kenilworth member, David Harris, was playing in Pair 3 with David Westwood and two down with two to play, they birdie the 17th to go back to dormie one and lipped out on the last for halving birdie. We were a further point behind when Ben Senior and Chris Evans lost.

The final match featured Bill Nicolson and Paul Randle and it was a return quality golf and match points from two golfers for whom the County 6s were not their best day. There half would prove in invaluable.

Staffordshire halved their first match of the 2004 season, against Derbyshire. With a two point lead at lunch, when that became four points very early on, they were looking at a winning advantage away from home, after losses by Matt Cryer and new Midland Amateur Champion Rob Steele.

Rob will find life more difficult after his Championship win. He gifted a couple of holes to his opponent and found that whenever he made a birdie, the Staffs No 2 would follow him in. The first Warwickshire success of the afternoon came from Paul Randle who was under par in turning 6 up and winning by the biggest margin of the day 6&5.

We had another win from David Hayes, but then lost two matches in quick succession – Ben Senior having a rare off day on his return to 1st Team golf and Dave Westwood not showing hi usual consistency. The four singles wins for Staffs now meant that Warwickshire could only tie the match but with wins for Gareth Jenkins at the last (4 birdies in the last five holes to do so) and from David Harris, and then a big result from Bill Nicolson 3&2, it was all down to Chris Evans at No 10.

Chris was one up playing the 15th, a hole that climbs back up to the Clubhouse were both teams were gathered to see who would take the match points.

‘I knew, when I saw all of you guys gathered round, that it was up to me’, said Evans to his team mates after the match, ‘ So I going to be playing at No 10 for the rest of the season?’

Chris did not play the 15th well but halved it, then drove the 16th to make a birdie 3 and go one up. His opposition hooked from the 17th tee and could only make a five with a chip and a putt to lose and make the Match score all square at 7.5 points each.

This result keeps Warwickshire very much in contention for the Midland League title. To do so, they will have to go to Notts next month and win but for 2004, Notts have not chosen one of their Championship courses in the north of their county – such as Hollinwell. Beeston Fields is a shorter course and one that does not need much local knowledge so if Warwickshire play as well as they are capable, we could go into the final two matches able to win. There may well be a debut for Andy Sullivan, probably the best junior in the Midlands after all his recent successes.

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