Match Report - Colts v Herts & Essex Brookmans Park Herts Sunday 6th September

The Beds team arrived to a very chilly 6 degrees at Brookmans Park for their final match of the season.

Bradley Finch and Sam Flannery playing at the top of the order in the foursomes and found it tough going as they were defeated 4&3 in both matches.

The two 16 year old Ryan's from Dunstable Downs, Smith and Craig, were involved in a cracking match both results being decided on the last putts of the last green. They lost 1 down to the Herts pair and claimed a very creditable half against the Essex pair which included England player Bobby Keeble. Harry Boyle and new debutant Elliot Appleby lost 4&3 to their Herts opponents, then were later involved in another last green decider with the Essex pair and when Harry’s putt lipped out for a half we had half a point on the board from a possible 6 . Not the best of starts despite great efforts by all!

Our last and most experienced pair who are 1 and 2 in the BOOM, Jack Leek and Matt Hill played a high level of golf to win both of their matches comfortably. At lunchtime it was Beds 1 Herts 3, and Beds 1½ Essex 2.½.

Despite being down to both counties we had seen plenty of good play from the Beds team and I had a good feeling for the afternoon singles matches. I wasn’t to be disappointed!!

Captain Matt Hill led the order and was involved in very tight games throughout against both opponents, once he failed to convert an 8 footer on the 17th his match was over against the Essex man and he couldn’t find the birdie needed to gain a half on the last against Herts. Despite his disappointment feeling he had deserved something, he became the key man in the buggy encouraging the rest of the team forward.

On the back of a 12 shot victory in Millbrook’s Club championship the day before Jack played near flawless golf to win both of his matches comfortably.

Harry Boyle, recent winner of two very prestigious trophies - the Herts Bowl at Moor Park and the Prince of Wales at Woburn, carried on his impressive form beating his Essex player 6&4 and coolly holing out a par putt for victory on the last after the Herts player had made an outrageous up and down. 

Bradley was always up against it in both matches and it wasn’t to be his day. Sam Flannery was also finding the going tough, though knowing points were vital he managed to turn his deficit with Herts player in to what proved to be a very valuable last hole win.

Ryan Smith a new member to the Colts side this season, played as if he’d been playing a few seasons and controlled both his games with plenty of aggressive shots to win 4&3 and 3&2.

Beds fine playing in the singles and the current points tally meant the match results could swing either way to all 3 counties with the final 2 matches on the course. Both Ryan Craig and Elliot Appleby were playing their first ever colts match and Elliot at 21 was representing the county for his first time.

Neither of the guys were fazed by the occasion - Ryan played very solid golf all afternoon and won both his matches on 16th green. What a debut for the young man with a half against an England Player in the morning and two fine victories in the afternoon.

The standard of the play in the last match was evident on the 17th Green when, into a tightly cut left hand pin, no player was outside 12 feet and when Elliot followed the Essex’s player in from 10 foot for a half there was much high fives and applause from all.

Both match results came down to the last singles on the last hole and Elliot closed out with 2 fine halved matches to complete an excellent singles performance giving us victory over the home side and a drawn match against our Essex opponents.

The result meant Beds finished a very close 2nd to league winners Essex - congratulations to them.

Thank you to Brookmans Park for hosting the day. The course was in excellent condition and set up perfectly for exciting matches.

Pete Busbridge

Colts Team Manager

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