Yorkshire will defend their title as the women’s English County Champions after they won a thrilling climax to North Region county match week at Northumberland Golf Club.
The champions – who have won the national title 12 times - will be challenged at County Finals at Belton Park, Lincolnshire, from September 15-19, by the winning teams from the other five regions.
They are: Lincolnshire from Midlands North; Buckinghamshire from Midlands South; Hertfordshire from the East; Gloucestershire from the South West; and Hampshire from the South.
Yorkshire squeezed through to County Finals after a countback of games won at their regional match week, after they tied with Lancashire and Cheshire with four match wins apiece.
Yorkshire’s 34 points beat Lancashire (30.5) into second place, just ahead of third placed Cheshire (30). The other North region counties are Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria.
Lincolnshire, who won this title in 2011, will be making their sixth consecutive appearance at County Finals and will be playing on home ground at Belton Park. They won the Midlands North regional final at The Leicestershire, winning all five of their matches.
The runners-up were Nottinghamshire. The other counties in the region are: Leicestershire & Rutland, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Derbyshire.
Buckinghamshire last represented Midlands South at County Finals in 2012. They clinched their place at their county match week at Northampton Golf Club, where they won four out of a possible five points. Northamptonshire and Worcestershire & Herefordshire both won three matches, while the other competing counties were Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Warwickshire.
Hertfordshire, who won the national title four years ago, had a perfect five wins from five matches at the East region week at Gog Magog in Cambs & Hunts. The runners-up were Essex and the other competing counties were Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and Cambs & Hunts.
Hampshire won all four of their matches at the South Region week at Muswell Hill in Middlesex. The runners-up were Surrey and the other competing counties were Kent, Middlesex and Sussex. Hampshire have won the national title three times, all in the 1990s and most recently in 1995.
Gloucestershire emerged as South West champions at Yeovil in Somerset with 3½ points from five matches. They pipped both the hosts, Somerset, and Cornwall, who both had three points. The other competing counties were Wiltshire, Devon and Dorset.
The draw for County Finals is:
Monday, September 15
Gloucestershire v Hertfordshire
Hampshire v Lincolnshire
Yorkshire v Buckinghamshire
Tuesday, September 16
Hampshire v Yorkshire
Hertfordshire v Lincolnshire
Buckinghamshire v Gloucestershire
Wednesday, September 17
Lincolnshire v Buckinghamshire
Gloucestershire v Yorkshire
Hampshire v Hertfordshire
Thursday, September 18
Gloucestershire v Hampshire
Hertfordshire v Buckinghamshire
Yorkshire v Lincolnshire
Friday, September 19
Yorkshire v Hertfordshire
Buckinghamshire v Hampshire
Lincolnshire v Gloucestershire
Each match consists of three foursomes in the morning followed by six afternoon singles.