NORTH DIVISION WOMEN'S INTER-COUNTY

NORTHERN COUNTIES’ GOOD START TO

BID FOR TITLE FOUR-TIME AT CRIEFF

Northern Counties boosted their hopes of a fourth success title win in the North Division women’s inter-county team championship when they beat their main rivals, Aberdeenshire, 5 ½-3 ½ in the opening match at Crieff today (Saturday).

Northern Counties took the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 3 ½-2 ½ with 15-year-old Kelsey MacDonald from Nairn Dunbar winning the battle of the county champions by 2 and 1 against Katie Thomson (Kintore).

In the other opening match of the three-day tournament, Perth & Kinross had a surprisingly convincing 7-2 win over Angus. P&K, who have not won the North Division title since 1982, took the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 5-1.

Roseanne Niven (Crieff) won the top singles tie by 5 and 4 against Angus county champion Jane Tough (Brechin).

Details:

ABERDEENSHIRE 3 ½, NORTHERN COUNTIES 5 ½

Foursomes: S Wood & L Murray lost to K MacDonald & J Milne 3 and 2; D Pocock & M Thomson lost to K Harper & L Walker 4 and 3; J Harrison & C Wilson bt M Smith & D Sinclair 3 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: K Thomson lost to MacDonald 2 and 1, Wood lost to Walker 1 bhole, Murray bt Smith 3 and 2, C Wilson halved with Milne, L McLardy lost to A Ingram 5 and 4, M Thomson bt Harper 3 and 1 (2 ½-3 ½ ).

ANGUS 2, PERTH & KINROSS 7

Foursomes: M Summers & A Hunter lost to J Milne & R Ramsay 3 and 2; R Wilson, A Ramsay lost to R Niven, A Bushby 4 and 3, K McNicoll & S Murray bt E Ogilvy, E Napper 2 and 1 (1-2).

Singles: J Tough lost to Niven 5 and 4, Summers lost to Bushby 2 and 1, Wilson lost to J Yellowless 3 and 2, Murray lost to S Kettlewell 3 and 2, F Millar lost to F Ramsay 4 and 3, McNicoll bt Ogilvy 5 and 4 (1-5).

Sunday matches (9am & 1.30):

Angus v Aberdeenshire, Northern Conties v Perth & Kinross.