UMHLALI, 5 October 2016 – Gauteng North staved off a brave challenge from Border and Gauteng whipped Ekurhuleni as the match play section got underway in the 56th South African Women’s Inter-Provincial at Umhlali Country Club on Wednesday.
Gauteng A almost enjoyed a whitewash as the side swept to an 8 – 1 victory over Ekurhuleni, but in the second match in the top order of the A-Section, Gauteng North had to pull out all the stops in the singles to beat Border 5 – 4.
The defending champions set the tone for their winning march with an 8 & 6 victory from Symone Henriques and Chiara Contomathios in the singles. Kajal Misty partnered Woo-Ju Son to a 2 & 1 result to secure two points for Gauteng A, but Sarah Bouch and Casandra Hall stemmed the bleeding for Ekurhuleni when they won the final game 1-up.
However, Gauteng A was just warming up.
The team piled on the pressure in the singles with Henriques and Eleonora Galletti taking quick 6 & 5 victories. Ivanna Samu added another point with a 4 & 2 win, Contomathios and Mistry pushed their tally to seven with 3 & 2 results and Woo-Ju Son beat Caitlyn Macnab 2 & 1 to put an exclamation mark behind their opening performance.
In the second match, sisters Marne and Eugenie Clack took the first scalp for Gauteng North in the foursomes when they downed Millie Zim-Dondashe and Hermien Jones 2 & 1.
The remaining two games also went the way of the Daisies and Border was 4 – 0 down after Marne pummelled Jones 6 – 4 in the singles.
Then the Border ladies showed why they won the B-Division two years on the trot.
Siviwe Duma won 5 & 3 and Zim-Dondashe 3 & 1, Zethu Myeki took out Larissa du Preez 4 & 3 and Yolanda Duma beat Lenanda van der Watt 2 & 1 to level the score.
It came down to the final game between reigning Nomads SA Girls champion Danielle du Toit and Demi Flanagan, a three-time Border Match Play champion.
Du Toit had the early edge, but Flanagan took the game back to all square three times until the Gauteng North player went 1-up at the 11th hole. Du Toit wrapped up the winning point for Gauteng North after the two players halved the next seven holes.
In the bottom order, Western Province A defeated Gauteng North B 6 – 3, while Gauteng B edged out Boland 5 – 4.
B-SECTION
The scene was much the same in the top order of the B-Section as Southern Cape mowed down Western Province B 5 – 1, while KwaZulu-Natal edged out Free State 3.5 – 2.5.
Evergreen Sonja Bland and Ethel Ruthenberg put Southern Cape’s first point on the board with a 3 & 2 win in the foursomes, while the second game was halved.
Azelia Meichtry won 4 & 3 to increase Southern Cape’s lead and Sandra Winter put the side three points ahead when she defeated Odette Booysen 3 & 1.
Ruthenberg won 2 & 1 and Bland halved with Jessica Green to put Southern Cape in a strong position early in the championship.
KwaZulu-Natal and Free State were at stalemate after the foursomes, but Brittney-Fay Berger handed Zanele Mazibuko a 9 & 7 drubbing to put the host union in front. Reigning Sanlam SA Women’s Match Play champion Lumien Orton beat Chloe Royston 5 & 3 to gain another point for Free Sate, but Bronwyn Rae won her game 1-up and Elsune Roode halved the final game to secure victory for KwaZulu-Natal.
In the Division 2, Eastern Province downed North West 5 – 1 and Mpumalanga edged out Limpopo 4 – 2.
ROUND ONE RESULTS (full results attached)
A-SECTION – Division 1
Gauteng A 8 vs Ekurhuleni 1
Gauteng North A 5 vs Border 4
A-SECTION LOG – Division 1
(Pos-Union-Played-Won-Drawn-Lost-Points-Matches won)
1 Gauteng A (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 8)
2 Gauteng North A (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 5)
3 Border (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 4)
4 Ekurhuleni (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1)
A-SECTION – Division 2
Western Province A 6 vs Gauteng North B 3
Gauteng B 5 vs Boland 4
A-SECTION LOG – Division 2
(Pos-Union-Played-Won-Drawn-Lost-Points-Matches won)
1 Western Province A (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 6)
2 Gauteng B (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 5)
3 Boland (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 4)
4 Gauteng North B (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 3)
B-SECTION LOG – Division 1
Southern Cape 5 vs Western Province B 1
Free State 2.5 vs Kwazulu Natal 3.5
B-SECTION LOG – Division 1
(Pos-Union-Played-Won-Drawn-Lost-Points-Matches won)
1 Southern Cape (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 5)
2 Kwazulu Natal (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 3.5)
3 Free State (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2.5)
4 Western Province B (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1)
B-SECTION LOG – Division 2
Eastern Province 5 vs North West 1
Mpumalanga 4 vs Limpopo 2
B-SECTION LOG – Division 2
(Pos-Union-Played-Won-Drawn-Lost-Points-Matches won)
1 Eastern Province (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 5)
2 Mpumalanga (1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 4)
3 Limpopo (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2)
4 North West (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1)
PHOTO – Gauteng North A and B; credit GNGU