The side which won the Bernard Darwin last year was selected again to defend the trophy. Tim Jenkins and Jonathan Hubbard played top once again with Geoff Clay and Tony Monteuuis in the second pair and Peter Saggers and Martin Yates bringing up the rear as a very tough third pair.

We had drawn Radley, whom we had beaten in last year' s final, in the first round. With 3 of their 2006 team unavailable, we looked to be favourites. However, their 1st pair was unchanged and Tim and Jonathan were 3 down at the turn. Behind them Geoff and Tony were having a tough battle with a pair who putting brilliantly holed putt after putt. Fortunately our anchor pair at 3, were soon well in charge. Martin Yates, fresh from a strong performance in The Welsh Seniors, had turned the clock back a few years and was playing with great confidence, and Peter Saggers, having accidentally broken the shaft of his driver a week earlier, found the new one went not only 20yds further, but also straighter!!

With Martin and Peter well in control, one win had to be gleaned from the top 2 matches. Tim and Jonathan, having played sub par golf since the turn were 1 up on 17th tee, but Geoff and Tony were 2 down after 14. In the top match a visit to the trees at 17 put them all square. A huge drive by Radley down 18 brought a great response from Tim, who hit a superlative approach to 14 feet, which Jonathan holed to squeeze us through.

Meanwhile our 2nd pair had won 15, 16 and 17, to be 1 up on the 18th tee. Tonbridge were considerably closer than Radley on the 18th green, but after they left a long putt across the slope dead, Geoff was kind enough to leave Monty a nasty 6 footer. With the match already won Tony did the honourable thing!

Next up were Marlborough. Our top pair started with 3 threes in the first 4 holes, were 5 up after 10 and soon secured 1 point.

At the back, Martin and Peter were still in a ruthless mood, and won 5 successive holes from the 8th, to win at the 13th. With the match won our 2nd pair who were two up at the time agreed a half on the 15^th.

An excellent meal was enjoyed in a Tapas Restaurant in Weybridge, where the Ayatollah made no bones about putting our win in perspective!

So, the following morning we met Rugby in the semi-final, and what a nail biter it was to be!

Jonathan and Tim playing beautifully had 9 fours to the turn, which proved too much and soon went on to win. However, after seeing their opponents getting up and down from everywhere Geoff and Tony stood 2 down on the Par 3 16th, whereupon Rugby hit it to 15 feet. To his eternal credit Geoff got his to 8 feet and Monty rolled it in. This seemed crucial as Peter and Martin had just three putted the 15^th to go 1 down.

Sadly a trip to the woods saw our 2nd pair lose the 17th to a 5 and with it the match, which took us back to the 16th green and a nail-biter. Great excitement, for after Rugby came to rest by a tree, Martin found the green, but Peter was left with a fiendish putt up the slope and over the apron. His putt failed to get inside their nobbled chip, and, trying to be positive our 2nd putt went 6 foot past! After Marlborough just missed for a 3, Peter bravely avoided the 4 putt and we stayed 1 down.

A perfect 4 at 17 saw us square the match. Peter's 2nd at 18 left Martin just short of the green with a tricky sloping 30 footer, with Rugby on the green. A near perfect putt from Martin just rolled over the lip, and so on to the 19th. Peter hit a great drive, 20 yards short of the green, and Rugby sliced into the trees. However, a gap appeared for them and they found the green, avoiding going over the back by inches. Having had a problem with his chip from a similar spot earlier, Martin elected to putt and did well getting it to 18 feet. After Rugby putted up to 3 feet, Peter just missed, but Rugby then failed with their 3 footer. Whew!!

With Malvern, Wellington and Charterhouse having all had first round defeats we found ourselves, a little surprisingly, facing Eton in the final.

With Jonathan and Tim playing the front 9 with 8 fours and a 2, we were again 5 up after 10, and the first point was secured.

Geoff and Tony were determined to win early (in order to have a win to their credit!), and were also soon 5 up. They played some great golf to dispatch Garth Milne and Mark Dixon (a formidable pair), with relative ease.

Meanwhile our 3rd pair, who were sauntering along a few holes behind and one down, were happy to agree a half to give us a convincing win.

It was a very satisfactory win and we were delighted to welcome a few much valued supporters including Adrian Cooper, The Ayatollah, Peter Bathurst, Richard Gracey and David Hubbard.