Suffolk Ladies hope to take third place in the England Ladies’ County Championship at Felixstowe Ferry.

They scored their second win of the week when beating Hampshire by five and a half matches to three and a half.

Suffolk won all three of their foursomes matches and looked set for a convincing win. That was not the case. Hampshire battled back in the singles.

Sharon Luckman and Fiona Edmond won the top foursomes 2 and 1 against Kelly Travers and Sammi Keen.

Bell and Barlow scored their second win of the week beating former Curtis Cup player Kerry Smith and Adrian Mulrea on the last green.

A new pairing of Vicki Inglis and Lottie Whyman also came up trumps by 3 and 2 against Raffi Dyer and Aimee Paterson.

Suffolk needed to win just two of the six singles. Suffolk champion Barlow beat Smith but Whyman went down on the last green to the in-form Georgie Mundy. Defeats for Amanda Norman and Abbie Symonds meant that Suffolk still needed one more win with Inglis and Bell still on the course.

Their matches were both on a knife’s edge. Inglis secured a half leaving Bell to beat Kelly Travers 2 and 1 having been behind.

Bell said: “Yorkshire and Gloucestershire are seasoned national campaigners and they are always going to be difficult. But to finish third would be brilliant – third in the whole country!”

Buckinghamshire produced the surprise result of the week when they held title challengers Yorkshire to a draw. It suggested that the White Rose county, the firm favourites at the start of the week, are not invincible.

In the day’s other match defending champions Gloucestershire beat Nottinghamshire by five and a half to three and a half.

It means the title will be decided by tomorrow’s clash between Gloucestershire and Yorkshire.

A draw would be enough for Gloucestershire who have eight points to Yorkshire’s seven. Suffolk have four, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire two and Buckinghamshire one.

Suffolk round off their programme against Nottinghamshire.

Tomorrow’s matches: Hampshire v Buckinghamshire; Gloucestershire v Yorkshire; Suffolk v Nottinghamshire.