Hampshire Seniors added to the county’s successes this season by retaining the South East League title.

That result came after the men’s team were crowned English County Champions for the first time in 21 years at the beginning of this month.

Captain Alan Drayton, from Hockley, was able to include Walker Cup player Bobby Eggo who played against the Americans in 1987.

He was sent out first against Lewis Watchman, who got a half against the Royal Guernsey man, who also lost to Lee-on-Solent’s Steve Richardson in the 1989 English Amateur Championship final at Royal St George’s, having lost the 1987 final to Hampshire county team-mate Kevin Weeks.

But Hampshire had already taken the lead by the time the Channel Islander had reached the 18th with Stoneham’s England Seniors international Alan Mew giving Hertfordshire’s Bob Peacock a long walk in from the 13th having gone six down.

Hertfordshire, who had made the much shorter journey to The Bedfordshire GC, hit back with wins against Royal Jersey pair Trevor Gray and Phill Evans.

But Hayling’s Tim Gilbert hit back, winning the 18th against Gordon Stewart to win by two, while Stoneham’s former county captain Richard Elmes was also walking in from the 13th in the penultimate match having beaten Nigel Lawrence 6&5 to make it 31/2-21/2 to Hampshire.

When Test Valley’s David Price beat Phil Embleton 2&1 Hampshire were within touching distance of the trophy.

And despite Warwick Grant beating Basingstoke’s Peter Scott 4&3, clubmate Oscar O’Herlihy also won the 18th to beat Herts veteran Gauis Potton by two and seal the victory.

Stoneham’s Jamie Pinchon held on for a half in the final match to give his team a two-point margin of victory.

Earlier in the season, Hampshire beat Surrey six and a half-three and a half at Rowlands Castle to get their title defence off to a good start.

But a 6-4 defeat against Sussex at Bognor Regis meant they could not afford to drop any more points and and a seven and a half-two and a half victory away against Dorset at Ashley Wood set up a cliff-hanger for their final South Division match of the season.

Hampshire needed to win against Kent by at least 7-3 to win the South Division title and qualify on game points.

They produced a brilliant eight and a half-one and a half scoreline at North Hants last month, to make the final for a second year in a row.