GOLF: Suffolk Men made a flying start to their Anglian League county programme with a victory over Cambridgeshire at Stoke-by-Nayland by eight-and-a-half matches to three-and-a-half yesterday.

GOLF

SUFFOLK Men made a flying start to their Anglian League county programme with a victory over Cambridgeshire at Stoke-by-Nayland by eight-and-a-half matches to three-and-a-half yesterday.

Suffolk, with several home-based players in their team, never looked back after establishing control in the morning foursomes.

Suffolk's non-playing captain Matt Fordham was delighted with the result against last year's champions.

"There is a great team spirit, with everyone playing for one another. Cambridgeshire went into the match with confidence as reigning champions just as we did last year but we made the start to the season we wanted."

The foursomes success was helped by three crucial putts. Chris Wright of Bury St Edmunds, partnering Ian Younger making his county debut, were involved in a tense battle with Yearn and Jarvis.

Wright sank a 35-foot putt from the edge of the green on the 17th and then kept his nerve to hole a six-footer on the last to win the match.

Sam Debenham and James Wright were one down on the 18th tee against Davies and Hartley but Debenham's seven-foot uphill putt earned a precious half that boosted the team's confidence for the singles.

Not many county pairings will hold Jamie Moul, who is in terrific form, and Lawrence Dodd. They had a comfortable foursomes win and neither player was under any great pressure in their singles either.

Moul had one disaster hole, but for 16 holes he was six under par. Jarvis never really stood a chance against that.

Suffolk play in the Eastern Counties Foursomes at Seacroft in Lincolnshire next weekend with the following team: Andrew Tokley, Kieran Canham, Andrew Robinson, Will Wright, Sam Debenham, Adie Meredith, Dean Fairweather, Scott Nichols, Ian Younger and Nathan Howe.

Suffolk 8.5 Cambridgeshire 3.5

(Suffolk names first) – Foursomes: K Canham & A Tokley bt R Stevens & J Grenall 2 & 1; J Wright & S Debenham halved with O Davies & M Hartley; I Younger & C Wright bt S Jarvis & L Yearn one up; J Moul & L Dodd bt P Rains & S Gheshash 3 & 2.

Singles: Canham beat Stevens 4 & 3, J Wright beat Davies 4 & 3, C Wright lost to Greenall 2 & 1, Tokley beat Gheshash 2 & 1, Younger lost to Hartley 2 & 1, Debenham lost to Yearn 3 & 2, Dodd beat Rains 4 & 3, Moul beat Jarvis 3 & 2.

SUFFOLK'S second team trailed by two-and-a-half to a half after the foursomes at Saffron Walden but fought back to dominate the singles.

Team captain John Blackmore was delighted by the all-round display saying: "Even in the morning many of the matches were very close and could have gone either way."

Cambridgeshire II 4.5 Suffolk II 7.5

Foursomes (Cambs names first): S Burns & R Mallett halved with A Robinson & W Wright; D Mallett & A Davie beat D Fairweather & N Howe one up; A Richardson & J Turner halved with D Coulthart & G Wardley; M Dean & K Arthur beat J Blackmore & M Pipe 5 & 4.

Singles: Burns lost to W Wright 4 & 3, R Mallett beat Robinson one up, D Mallett lost to Fairweather two down, Richardson lost to Coulthart 2 & 1, Dean lost to Wardley 4 & 3, Turner lost to Blackmore 3 & 2, Davie halved with Pipe.