LANCASHIRE stormed back from 4-2 down in the foursomes to overcome Northumberland 12-6 in the opening Daily Telegraph Northern Counties League match at Hexham.

And the victory also represented a perfect start for captain-elect Paul Williams as he took over the helm from Bill Bromilow who was on England duty in his role as a selector.

            “The team spirit was fantastic,” said the Hillside and Denton member who played 39 times for the county before retiring 11 years ago.

            “It was a great turn-around with the players coming quickly out of the blocks in the singles. They all pulled for each other and this success will boost their confidence for the next match against Cumbria at Carlisle on May 26.”

Five of Northumberland’s regular players turned professional at the end of last year and the side’s weaknesses were emphatically exposed by Lancashire as they won 10 of the 12 singles.

County champion John Carroll, from Huyton & Prescot, led the fight back by winning six of the first seven holes before despatching Matthew Webb 7&6; Southport & Ainsdale’s Sean Towndrow overwhelmed Lewis Fairbairn 9&8; Hillside’s Richie Blundell prevailed 7&5 against Sean Heads; and Michael Hunt, from Pleasington eclipsed Jake Storey 6&4.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire defeated defending champions Cheshire by five points at Wallasey and Cumbria won by the same margin against Durham at Seaton Carew.

“Cumbria will certainly test us at Carlisle but the attitude of our players is excellent,” added Williams after the Red Rose men went top of the table.

FOURSOMES: Mark Young (Longridge) & Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park)  halved with Matthew Webb & Jack Hermeston; John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) & Adam Andrews (Ashton-in-Makerfield) halved with Sandy Twynholm & Alec Dixon; Richie Blundell (Hillside) & Paul Howard (S&A) bt Martin Coup & Sean Heads 3&2; Jonathan Hurst (Pleasington) & Michael Hunt (Pleasington) lost to Darren Smith & Lewis Fairbairn 1h; Sean Towndrow (S&A) & Steve McGlynn (Blackburn) lost to Andrew Minnikin & Jake Storey 1h; Ciaran Doherty(Bury) & Henry Tomlinson (Royal Lytham & St Annes) lost to Peter Sym & Russell Hayhoe 1h. SINGLES: Carroll bt Webb 7&6; Young bt Twynholm 3&2; Howard bt Smith 4&3; Blundell bt Heads 7&5; Andrews bt Hermeston 4&3; Kenwright lost to Minnikin 2&1; McGlynn bt Coup 1h; Hurst bt Dixon 4&2; Towndrow bt Fairbairn 9&8; Hunt bt Storey 6&4; Tomlinson bt Sym 2&1; Doherty lost to Hayhoe 3&2.

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