SUFFOLK girls reached the Midlands final of the under-18 inter-county championship when they beat Bedfordshire by four matches to two at Swaffham on Saturday.

By Tony Garnett

SUFFOLK girls reached the Midlands final of the under-18 inter-county championship when they beat Bedfordshire by four matches to two at Swaffham on Saturday.

Now they take on the other qualifiers at Stowmarket on October 22 and 23. It is four years since Suffolk last reached this stage in this scratch event.

The team will be unchanged although Jo Jo Hamer Philip may be named as a reserve.

Suffolk's England under-15 champion, Heidi Baek, is just back from a holiday in Korea. She was below her best losing by one hole to Katie Burman who also plays off a handicap of four.

Reigning Suffolk junior champion, Korell Holley had a good three and two win over Megan Birdsey but Jo Taylor, club champion at Rushmere and Colchester, went down to Lizzie Sweetnam by one hole.

Scores (Suffolk players first): Heidi Baek lost to Katie Burman one down, Korell Holley beat Megan Birdsey 3 and 2, Jo Taylor lost to Lizzie Sweetnam one down, Sarah Howe beat Georgia Testa 2 and 1, Cheryl Chisholm beat Rebecca Samuels 6 and 4, Charlotte Fawdry beat Amber Hunt 3 and 1.

The Suffolk girls' second team also finished on top of their table after a draw with Bedfordshire at Swaffham.

The Suffolk second team was Jo Jo Hamer Philip, Emily Rothwell, Rosie Gilbert, Eleanor Tindall, Charlotte Double and Fay Smith.