Northern Counties champions Yorkshire show mettle with commanding opening-day win

YORKSHIRE LADIES quickly made clear their intent to claim a third consecutive Northern Counties Match Week title as they brushed aside Cumbria 8-1 on the first day at Huddersfield.
Toni Louise Naylor (Sand Moor) won both her matches for Yorkshire as they beat Cumbria 8-1 at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).Toni Louise Naylor (Sand Moor) won both her matches for Yorkshire as they beat Cumbria 8-1 at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).
Toni Louise Naylor (Sand Moor) won both her matches for Yorkshire as they beat Cumbria 8-1 at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).

Captain Helen Lilley’s team produced a clean sweep in the morning foursomes and took five of the six singles, the exception seeing Woodsome Hall’s Lily Hirst fall to a formidable opponent in England Under-16 international Caitlin Whitehead.

Reigning Yorkshire champion Olivia Jackson (Pannal) led the way in the afternoon with a one-hole victory in the top game.

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Lilley was able to give 10 of the 11 players currently at her disposal first-day assignments with the 12th – Selby’s Megan Garland, who won the first of successive county titles at Fixby two years ago – unavailable until Thursday.

Yorkshire coach Lysa Jones (The Oaks) talks to Woodsome Hall's Melissa Wood on day one of the Northern Counties Match Week at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).Yorkshire coach Lysa Jones (The Oaks) talks to Woodsome Hall's Melissa Wood on day one of the Northern Counties Match Week at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).
Yorkshire coach Lysa Jones (The Oaks) talks to Woodsome Hall's Melissa Wood on day one of the Northern Counties Match Week at Huddersfield (Picture: Chris Stratford).

Sand Moor’s Toni Louise Naylor and Lightcliffe’s Hannah Holden were the only Yorkshire combatants to play morning and afternoon, both with maximum success.

Sickleholme’s Lilley commented: “It was extremely tough because it was cold in the morning and the wind was swirling; the greens are still very hard and fast, but we played well.

“Fortunately we did have a very windy practice day a couple of weeks ago, so that gave us a bit of a clue as to what it might be like.”

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Lilley said that Yorkshire’s foursomes pairings for the day-two assignment with Northumberland would be “a mixture: some the same, some different.”

Lancashire, depleted due to the absence of both their 2017 and 2018 champions, went down to a 5-4 defeat to Durham while Cheshire triumphed 6-3 against Northumberland.