League News

NGL Handicap League

Hellidon Lakes snatched a Handicap League semi-final spot in dramatic circumstances as they finished above Staverton Park in Group A on points difference after beating the overnight leaders 16-2 at home in their last match.

Needing to win by more than 10 points to confirm top spot, Hellidon overcame a slow start as Staverton took the opening tie by two holes and halved the next game.

The hosts responded perfectly as they won the next four games, including the last two by margins of five and seven holes respectively, to set up a meeting with Kingsthorpe in the last four.

Kingsthorpe, meanwhile, saw their perfect winning record come to an end as they were edged out by the scoreline 8-6 at Farthingstone in their last Group C outing. Brampton Heath avoided finishing bottom with a 10-2 success at Silverstone.

Kettering booked a semi-final meeting with Group D winners Overstone Park after they confirmed first place in Group B with a gritty 6-6 draw at Wellingborough, who still harboured qualification ambitions.

Sean Suddards and David Potter got the visitors off to the ideal start with a two-hole win in the opening contest, before the second match was halved.

Although the hosts took games three, five and six by the margin of two holes, Kettering snatched a share of the honours thanks to an excellent four-hole victory from Kim Davis and Robert Henbury in the other tie.

NGL Scratch League

Peterborough Milton saw their winning start to the Scratch League campaign come to a halt as they lost 5-3 away to defending champions Overstone Park.

The home side’s points came from Dan Kennedy, James Gardner, Jamie Newton, Ryan Genner and Fraser Carnihan, while Adam Scott, Charlie Pearce and Chris White were successful for Milton.

Northampton earned their second draw of the season as they grabbed a share of the spoils with a 4-4 stalemate at Wellingborough.

After taking the first three points in a draw at Overstone Park earlier in the year, Northampton repeated the trick as Samuel Gilkes, Ben Hawkins and Mark Bazeley gave them the ideal start with convincing wins.

Wellingborough responded by securing the next two points as well as winning the penultimate tie on the 18th hole, but the remaining couple of games finished all square, meaning Northampton stay bottom.

Division 3 leaders Daventry maintained their promotion push as points from Paul Read, Mat Simmonds-Curd and Jack Cooper, plus a half from Daniel Haynes in the final tie, earned a 3½-2½ success at bottom side Oundle

NGL Intermediate League

Kingsthorpe’s Intermediate League title defence came to a disappointing conclusion as they crashed to a fifth defeat in six outings with a 6-2 loss to Rushden at Northampton GC.

Rushden, who lost by a single point to Collingtree Park a week earlier, took the opening five ties through Ryan Haynes, Alfie Masser, Steve Kempson, Ian Wills and Daniel Freeman, before Ian Dickerson won the final game.