Youngsters give Yorkshire cause for optimism despite low-key English women's county finals

For the Green Army fielded four players under 18 at Delamere Forest, Cheshire in the five-day round robin event – and two senior players whose performances were impaired by illness – and the omens remain good for the long-term future.

Opening victories over Buckinghamshire and Norfolk raised hopes that captain Heather Muir's team could challenge defending champions Gloucestershire this week.

However, when Lindrick's Nicola Slater succumbed to the symptoms of a severe cold in Wednesday's top singles match, letting slip a four-hole advantage to lose, it led to a shock 5-4 defeat to Surrey that increased the pressure going into Thursday's game with Gloucestershire.

The champions prevailed 5.5-3.5 against the White Rose, confirming their successful defence of the title with a day to spare and making their last-day 5-4 defeat to Buckinghamshire irrelevant.

Yorkshire hoped to claim second place by finishing with a win against Lincolnshire, but were on the wrong end of a 5.5-3.5 scoreline again.

Nonetheless the experience gained by the likes of Jess Hosking (Huddersfield), Mia Eales-Smith (Lindrick), Beth Norton (The Oaks) and Evie Cooke (Rudding Park) promises to pay dividends down the line.

Hopefully they can emulate the sort of match-play golf that saw Woodsome Hall's Melissa Wood finish with the astonishing record of having played in nine of the 10 sessions, winning eight and halving the other.