Yorkshire are England’s champion women’s county. After an absence of two years they made a winning return to County Finals, beating Lincolnshire 5-4 in a tense title showdown.

Yorkshire’s win is their 12th in the championship and their first since 2008.

In the day’s other matches Hertfordshire beat Gloucestershire 6½-2½ to finish third overall. Kent claimed their first win of the week, defeating Warwickshire 5½-3½ and finishing in fifth place.

“I am over the moon with my fantastic team,” said Yorkshire captain Carole Waights, after a tense afternoon of close singles.“Lincolnshire played beautifully this afternoon. They were going straight for the pins and they gave me a fright!” she added.

Yorkshire raced ahead in the morning, winning all three foursomes. But Lincolnshire charged out in the afternoon singles.

Helen Hewlett and Emilee Taylor both played excellent golf to beat Emma Brown and Becca Wood respectively in the top two singles. Behind them, their battling colleagues were edging ahead - but in the end Yorkshire grit won through and they secured the two points they needed. Charlotte Austwick won the 16th to get back to all square and then finished strongly by winning the 18th. Behind her, Holly Morgan came to the 17th tee one up and, with a solid par, won the hole and clinched the title for Yorkshire to cheers and whoops of delight which echoed around the course.

In the second match Hertfordshire were on winning form all day, taking 2½ points in the foursomes and four in the singles. Their winners included 13-year-old Hannah Screen who played extremely well on her debut appearance and won 4/2 in the singles. Their performance put them in third place.

In the final match Kent overcame Warwickshire to win their first point of the week. In the foursomes the two teams shared the points with one half and one big win apiece – Kent’s top pair were an estimated eight-under when they won 6/5 and Warwickshire’s second pair also won on the 13th. Kent pushed ahead in the singles, winning three matches and halving two.

Final placings:

1 Yorkshire, representing the North, 5pts
2 Lincolnshire, representing Midlands North, 3½pts
3 Hertfordshire representing the East, 3pts
4 Gloucestershire, representing the South West, 2½pts
5 Kent, representing the South, 1pt
6 Warwickshire, representing Midlands South, 0pt

Team image copyright Leaderboard Photography.