SCORES of 70 and 73 for a 143 total saw Thorpe Hall's Martin Blake top the qualifiers in the weekend's Essex Keating Trophy at Colne Valley.

He will now meet James Jones (Five Lakes) in Saturday's opening matchplay stages.

A total of 84 hopefuls started in a bitterly cold north-easterly wind in the qualifiers and six south-east Essex golfers won through to the match-play last 32.

Shaun Mills (146) from Orsett will meet Owen Pearl (Colchester) while another Orsett player, Steve McAnally, finished on 147 and comes up against William Boniface (Five Lakes).

Third Orsett man in the field is Ryan Adair, who will take on Thorpe Hall's Matt Southgate, both having finished the qualifiers on 146.

Joe Sullivan (Stock Brook Manor) meets Reece Phillips (West Essex) after shooting a 36-hole 148 total.

After losing the morning foursomes 4-2, Essex under-16s and 18s halved the singles to go down 10-8 overall in their Cheshunt Salver clash with Herts under-18s at Redbourn Golf Club.

Essex under-18s were captained by Rochford's Joe Galbraith and included club colleagues Christian Foreman and Andy Milne.

The under-16s included Lewis Adair (Orsett) and Joe Sullivan (Stock Brook Manor).

Sullivan and Adair both had singles' successes.

The under-18s and 16s showed improved form when they beat Suffolk at Nazeing 12.5-5.5.

Matt Capps (Ballards Gore) and Tom Owen (Rochford) were among the foursomes winners along with Foreman and the Rochford duo of Jay Beisser and Andy Milne.

Beisser and Capps both had singles successes, while Galbraith grabbed a half.