Yorkshire surge through singles for third successive win in English Women's County Championship finals

Captain Fran Dickson's side lost their first foursomes match of the week after Suffolk champion Alice Barlow and team captain Vanessa Bell eagled the second and birdied the third, fourth and fifth before winning 4&2. But Yorkshire still took a 2-1 lead into the afternoon's singles.

Lightcliffe's Hannah Holden and Charlotte Heath (Huddersfield) had won 4&3 while the anchor pair of Rotherham's Olivia Winning and Megan Lockett, also Huddersfield, eased to a 6&5 triumph.

In the singles, Heath and Lockett both extended their singles records to a perfect three from three while Winning remains unbeaten after a half against Suffolk.

Woodsome Hall's Nicola Slater completed her second win in as many matches, as did Mia Eales-Smith (Lindrick) and Holden.

The singles were played in a steadily strengthening wind and Lockett got ahead early on, was pulled back to all square after nine, but pushed on strongly on the back nine and posted the first point with her 3&2 win.

She was soon followed by Yorkshire girls’ champion Slater, whose 5&4 win earned her the team’s prized chocolate award for the best score of the afternoon.

Heath provided the team’s winning point when she won 3&2 after a game that featured plenty of birdies from both players.

Holden signed off with a birdie for her 4&2 success and Eales-Smith won on the 17th.

Winning had trailed Suffolk’s Lottie Whyman, but she pulled it back to all square with a birdie on 17 and they halved with pars on the last.

In the day's other games, defending champions Gloucestershire beat Buckinghamshire 8-1 and Hampshire recovered from earlier defeats by Yorkshire and Gloucestershire to score their first win, beating Nottinghamshire 6-3.

On Thursday, Yorkshire will face Buckinghamshire, champions Gloucestershire – who have also won their first three matches - play Notts and Hampshire take on Suffolk.