Typically this fixture is the crucial match that determines who qualifies out of this section of the Home Counties League, and has often tended to side with home advantage.  Therefore the pressure was on Middlesex for their trip to enemy territory at Desborough against a strong Berkshire side.

A good start is crucial in these games and the side did well to keep it tight, limiting Berkshire to a two shot advantage at five ends. Even better the team managed to eke out an eleven shot lead at ten ends and slowly stretch it out to eighteen shots at eighteen ends. A late home surge was always expected but the team did very well to hold them off for an eight shot win.

Special mention must go to the rinks led by Dave Pitt and Roger Milton which secured strong wins on their rinks. But equal credit must be given the rest of the rinks that kept it sufficiently tight to ensure that our winning rinks secured the victory.

So a narrow win, 14-8 on points that leaves Middlesex in the driving seat in their section but leaves little room for complacency in their next game. Congratulations to all those who played.

The team is listed here, and the scoresheet is enclosed here.