Nick Shearman and David Piper scored a birdie apiece for eight points in a total of 36 to win the second round of Monday’s 15-hole Seniors’ Bill England Winter League.

They won by three points from second-placed Vince Stribbling and Roger Leavers, who held off John Dawson and Scott Rutherford, and Melvyn Curd and Graham Vaughan, on countback.

With three rounds to go and four in all to count, John Dodd and Rutherford are top of a league of 32 pairs with 62 points, seven clear of Michael Morgan and Steve Girdwood, who were fifth on Monday, with Des Caul and Be Haratbar a further point back in third position.

With the 11th, 12th and 13th holes shut for course works, Shearman birdied the third and parred the fifth and 10th with three bogeys while Piper parred the seventh and eighth and birdied the ninth as they racked up 25 points from their first 10 holes.

They were one-over-par on their last five for 11 to secure the win that lifted them to seventh in the table.

Stribbling scored with a birdie at the eighth, one par, seven bogeys and two doubles as he and Leavers made 20 out and 13 back, Dodd and Rutherford had 21 and 12 and Curd and Vaughan 22 and 11.

Shearman said: “It was quite windy and wet and, on the third, I hit a nice drive and a 5 iron into the green from about 170 yards. The pin was at the back and it just rolled up - I had a six-foot putt and it popped in.

“The ball wasn’t going very far and, on the 10th, I hit a drive, a 3 wood to about 20 yards short of the green and putted. It was one of those lucky long putts that rolled right round and up close from about 25 feet.

“And David holed a long putt across the green for a birdie on the ninth. We had a bit of luck but our putting went well. We had a few that hit the lip and went in.

“On 16, we were both short in two and played really good approach chips. Dave missed his from about six foot and I got mine in for par from about five foot.”

Piper said: “On nine, I hit a drive, duffed a 2 rescue, then hit my 5 rescue with a soft draw, which ended up about 15 foot away with a three or four foot of swing, too.

“Nick had already told me on the fairway that I was going to sink it and it was going nowhere else.

“And on 18, I hit my third shot with a little 5 rescue just by the side of the bunker and chipped to two feet.”

Dean Edmunds parred the 18th to clinch his first victory in almost five years of trying in last Wednesday’s men’s Midweek Stableford competition.

He covered the front nine in one-under-par for 22 points, from birdies at the eighth and ninth, six pars and a bogey at the fourth hole.

But as fierce rain squalls blew in, Edmunds dropped seven shots on his back nine, with double bogeys at the 11th and 17th, before his final two points gave him 37 from totals of 77, net 70, for victory by one from Ian Munday in a field of 32.

Munday birdied the first and also made two pars, five bogeys and a double at the ninth for 16 points out.

He then bucked the trend by coming back in three-over-par for 20 with a birdie at the 14th, four pars and four bogeys, for 80, net 71, and second on countback from Steve Eeles, who took full advantage of the par-5 first being shortened by tree works by hitting a drive, a pitch to four feet and holing the putt for an eagle and four points.

He failed to score on the third and doubled the fourth before four pars and a bogey gave him a front nine 19 points before making 17 back.

Edmunds said: “I got a win finally - I’ve been very close with a couple of seconds and thirds. Now, the plan is to win some silverware. I played really well on the front nine, then the wind and the rain came in and upset the applecart a bit.

“I played well enough to get over the line but it should have been a lot better than that.

“On eight, I hit an 8 iron to six foot and holed a six-foot putt and, on nine, I hit a 3 wood up the left, another one just short on the left-hand side and chipped in from about 20 yards.”

Alison Mason won for the second time in five days when she scored 34 points to win last Wednesday’s Women’s Blue Tee Stableford event.

But she feared she’d blown her chances when she failed to score on the 10th and then made only two points on her last three holes for 12 points back after an outward 22.

Mason birdied the first, seventh and eighth holes, with three pars and three bogeys to reach the turn in level-par 36.

She struggled on the back nine in bad weather, along with the rest of a field of 13, but still won by one from Louisa Parry, who held off Doreen Whiting on countback for second.

Angela Jones eagled the 18th when she drove into the left rough just beyond the trees, hit a 7 wood on and holed a 12-feet putt for 73, net 75, and 32 points for fourth on countback from Ruth Kirby-Smith.

Mason said: “I didn’t think I’d win with that score so it was good to have another one under my belt.

“On the first nine, there wasn’t such heavy rain and it wasn’t so windy and, for the birdie on the first, it was a drive and an 8 iron short to a red flag and I putted to a couple of feet and, on the seventh, I drove, hit a 3 wood left, chipped to about four feet and holed it.”