IPSWICH, the holders, had the overall strength to overcome an away draw at Hintlesham in the quarter-finals of the Stenson Shield in perfect conditions.

Tony Garnett

IPSWICH, the holders, had the overall strength to overcome an away draw at Hintlesham in the quarter-finals of the Stenson Shield in perfect conditions. It was level after the foursomes, with the match very much in the balance.

Adrian Meredith, the Suffolk Open champion, and Phil Westley teamed up to beat Neil Meadows and Andy Thomson by two holes to boost Hintlesham. Trevor Hellyer and Matt Ransome were five up after eight against Kristian Day and Gavin Richards. The Hintlesham pair hung on for a 2 and 1 win.

Graham Wardley and Ian Brown beat Nathan Overton and David Leach one up, while Paul Barnard and Jack Jowers, developing into a formidable Ipswich partnership, beat Phil Stopher and Russ Cunningham 4 and 3.

Hintlesham could only manage two wins and a half from their eight singles. Meredith beat Jowers 5 and 4, Hellyer beat Ipswich's debut-making Robert Bernstein one up and Westley halved his match with the experienced Meadows. Day and Thomson won one up for Ipswich in matches that could have gone either way.

Now Ipswich meet local rivals Fynn Valley in the semi-final on a neutral venue on Saturday, July 19.

Fynn Valley avenged their Hambro Cup defeat at the hands of Diss in no uncertain manner. Diss managed half a point thanks to Jason Sewell and Ross Halil halving their foursomes with Joe Cardy and Paul Dobson. Fynn Valley were without Hugo Dobson who was unwell after representing the county in the South East Counties boys' event at Rookery Park on Friday.

There were some heavy singles defeats for several of the Diss players as Brad Wilkins and Jamie Abbott both produced a birdie blitz.

Gorleston swept aside the challenge of Halesworth. The visitors were still very much in the hunt after the foursomes in which Alastair Hall and Matt Greenwood scored a notable victory over David James and Danny Perring.

Alex Holmes beat Hall on the last green in a tight singles encounter. Steve Crosby, a former English Mid-Amateur champion, had a succession of birdies to overwhelm David Leeder, while Geraint Amos rested from the foursomes, but came out roaring in the singles with a 5 and 3 win against Greenwood.

Gorleston now face Rookery Park in a semi-final clash between north Suffolk's strongest teams.

Results round-up

FYNN VALLEY 11.5 DISS 0.5

Foursomes (Fynn Valley names first): Aaron Bowen and Chris Smith beat Tom Bailey and Guy Griffiths 4 and 2; Joe Cardy and Paul Dobson halved with Jason Sewell and Ross Halil; Jamie Abbott and Andy Munro beat Darren Maskell and Chris Bartrum 2 and 1; Brad Wilkins and Danny Hedges beat Doug Trudgill and Archie Moore 5 and 4.

Singles: Smith beat Bailey 6 and 5, Bowen beat Sewell 3 and 2, Wilkins beat Griffiths 7 and 6, Jordan Dymond beat Moore 7 and 6, Hedges beat C Bartrum 4 and 3, Abbott beat Trudgill 6 and 5, P Dobson beat Moore 4 and 2, Cardy beat R Halil 7 and 5.

GORLESTON 10

HALESWORTH 2

Foursomes (Gorleston names first): Alex Holmes and Adam Hasell beat Chris Austin and Andrew Higgins two up; David James and Danny Perring lost to Alastair Hall and Matt Greenwood 4 and 3; Steve Crosby and Chris Duffy halved with David Brown and Mark Swallow; John Maddock and Adam Woods beat Mark Coby and Paul Coby 5 and 4.

Singles: Holmes beat Hall one up, Geraint Amos beat Greenwood 5 and 3, Crosby beat David Leeder 8 and 6, Perring beat Swallow one up, Duffy beat M Coby one up, A Woods beat Brown 4 and 2, James beat Austin 4 and 2, Maddock halved with P Coby.

ROOKERY PARK 8.3

HAVERHILL 3.5

Foursomes (Rookery Park names first): Callum Monk and Ben Wallis halved with Andy Fish and Gerry Scott; Chris Soanes and Luke Thompson beat David Spittle and Harry Mills one up; Graeme Brown and Jason Hipperson beat Craig Sissons and Jack Warwick one up; Matt Lay and Graham Shillings beat Eamonn Bareham and Dan Edwards 3 and 2.

Singles: Wallis beat G Scott one up, Soanes lost to Fish one down, Andy Coleman beat Spittle 3 and 2, Hipperson lost to Mills 2 and 1, Brown beat Sissons 5 and 4, Simon Goldsmith beat Warwick 7 and 5, Shillings lost to E Bareham one down, Lay beat Edwards 3 and 1.

HINTLESHAM 4.5 IPSWICH 7.5

Foursomes (Hintlesham names first): Phil Stopher and Russ Cunningham lost to Paul Barnard and Jack Jowers 4 and 3; Adrian Meredith and Phil Westley beat Neil Meadows and Andy Thomson two up; Nathan Overton and David Leach lost to Graham Wardley and Ian Brown one down; Trevor Hellyer and Matt Ransome beat Kristian Day and Gavin Richards 2 and 1.

Singles: Cunningham lost to Thomson one down, Ransome lost to Barnard 3 and 2, Meredith beat Jowers 5 and 4, Westley halved with Meadows, Overton lost to Day one down, Leach lost to Wardley 2 and 1, Hellyer beat Robert Bernstein one up, Stopher lost to Brown 2 and 1.