SUE Birch recorded eight pars and a birdie as her 38 points beat Hazel Cartledge on countback for the Lady Captain’s Salver at The Worcestershire.

Birch, who played 18 holes with 1997 Ladies US Open champion Alison Nicholas and county president Yvonne Foley on the Malvern Wells course just days before, has settled well after her move from Kings Norton 12 months ago.

Jen Bishop finished second in Division One with 37 and June Jones third with 34.

Behind Cartledge in Division Two, Kate Foster finished with 35 and Brenda Cox with 34.

Peter Basten had two stableford competitions to mark his captain’s day.

In the first one, Simon Speers recorded five pars on the front nine giving him 23 points and he hung on to finish ahead of the field with 40.

Peter Taylor scored 39 and David Wood 37.

The second competition saw 146 entries and the captain’s putter went to the best gross score by Dave Marshall with 70.

In Division Three, Simon Tennant finished with 36 points, two back from junior Charlie Cain who stormed to 22 on the front nine.

Stuart Webb came up just short in Division Two on 37 with Andrew Boyd going one better.

The Division One and outright winner was Will Jones with 40 after even 20 front and back with 11 pars and a birdie.

David Horn finished second on 38.

Seventeen The Worcestershire junior academy members competed for the Millennium Trophy after pairing up with an adult in a combined nine-hole stableford.

Peter Palmer (18 points) and Brendon Doran (19) won the trophy with 37 overall.

The intermediate prize was won by the father-and-son pairing of Alex and Charlie Garwood-Gowers.

The beginners' prize was won by the grandfather and grandson pairing of Ricky Lewis and Ben Jenkins.

The Worcestershire seniors had a return match at The Rolls of Monmouth and drew 3-3 in sweltering heat.

Captain Andy Peet and James Noon won 4&2, Terry Cox and Dave Jones 2&1 and Maurice Moore and Nigel Teale one-up.

But Andrew Whiteley and John Davison lost 2&1, Stan Jones and John Williams 7&6 and Barry Caswell and Keith Hitchcock 2&1.

In the midweek stableford, Brian Piner recorded 42 points to win Division Two ahead of Dennis Doano with 35 and Michael Morris with 34.

Division One's top score went to David Yule with 39 ahead of Gary Eames on 38 and Chris Hardy on 37.