Yorkshire golf: Dawn Clegg's team excel ahead of Roses battle at Penrith

Dawn Clegg's side have, like their Red Rose rivals, a perfect three out of three record having yesterday defeated Cheshire 7.5-1.5 at Penrith on a rain-affected day.

Having scored a clean sweep in the morning foursomes, Yorkshire took four wins and a half from the afternoon singles, the only loser being their champion Megan Garland (Selby), who went down in the top match.

But Scottish open stroke play champion Olivia Winning (Rotherham), making her first appearance in this week's event after work commitments forced her absence, followed up a 4&3 foursomes win with Megan Lockett (Huddersfield) with a 6&5 singles victory.

Alison Knowles (Hickleton), Lockett and Hannah Holden (Lightcliffe) followed suit with wins and Cleckheaton's Megan Clarke halved her match.

Yorkshire's others two foursomes wins were also by emphatic margins. Garland and Curtis Cup player Rochelle Morris (Woodsome Hall) triumphed 5&3 while Knowles and Hallamshire's Holly Morgan won 8&7.

Lancashire defeated Northumberland 6-3 and Durham won 7-2 against Cumbria.

Clegg praised the Penrith green-keeping staff, who changed pin positions on greens that threatened to flood under torrential rain and squeegeed water off the course to make it playable after a lengthy afternoon delay.

Of the team's performance, Clegg said: "The girls were just wonderful. I was so proud of them. To beat Cheshire 7.5-1.5 is a great result."

Howley Hall won the Yorkshire Union's Third Division championship, which was reduced to one round because of heavy rain at Silkstone.

Ben Hutchinson led the way with a 73, Scott Hartley shot 75 and Tom North 77.

Hallamshire, recent winners of the Fourth Division title at Teesside, placed second, with Barclay Brown carding 71, Alex Fitzpatrick – the player who replaced him as Sheffield Plate holder – 76 and Jim Tasker 81.

Third were Abbeydale, for whom Tim Brind and Alex Osborne both shot 76, and Josh Wright 79.