Neil Lythgoe of Royal Norwich and nine-handicap amateur partner Trevor Cave from Eaton Golf Club dominated the second day of the Searles PGA East Region Spring Classic.

Their 45 Stableford points in the better ball competition at King's Lynn shot them to the top of the leader board after they had started the day two points off the pace following the foursomes at Hunstanton. Lythgoe said: 'We knitted in really well. We've played a lot together but that is the best we've played. Trevor had three net birdies and one birdie while I had five birdies. They all came on different holes which was ideal for this format. They were really enjoyable two days to start the season.'

Lythgoe and Cave finished with 83 points. Overnight leaders Ian Ellis (Costessey Park) and Lawrence Osborne had to settle for fourth place after scoring 39 points at King's Lynn. Lythgoe is certainly a man in form at the moment, having also recently claimed the Norfolk Alliance Championship title around his home course, but is hoping not to peak too soon.

The 35-year-old is focusing on a productive East Region PGA season and is aiming for a top six order of merit finish.

'My biggest focus is playing the east region events which start in May. You're hoping to sort of peak about May onwards so in some ways you feel like you are trying to time it,' he said. 'I've had years in the past where you practice too much in January/February time and you're playing well March and April and then you get to the middle of the season and you get a bit stale.

'So you've got to time your run. Nobody can play well for 12 months of the year so you have got to try and time it so that you are playing well at the right times.

'The Alliance win was nice as it was around my home course. Everyone thinks that you are going to turn up and are going to win it automatically but of course it doesn't work like that. '

He added: 'I finished 20th on the East Region PGA order of merit last year but the best I have ever done is finish fourth. You hope all being equal and you're fighting fit you can get into the top half dozen. That's a good target. Obviously you hope to do better than that but you have to beat some good players to do it so it's not a given.'

Searles PGA East Region Spring Classic

First round foursomes at Hunstanton. Second round Better ball at King's Lynn: 83: N Lythgoe (Royal Norwich) and T Cave 38 45. 80: P Hetherington (Great Hadham) and J Williams 39 41, A Lucas and A Witter (Waldringfield) 38 42. 79: I Ellis (Costessey Park) and L Osborne 40 39. 78: J Thompson (Bishop's Stortford) and H Noble 35 43. Other scores: 77: A George (Ely City) and C Beynon 38 39. 74: Caroline Grady (De Vere Dunston Hall) and R Reynolds 36 38, A Hemsley (Barnham Broom) and W Farley 36 38. 73: J Le Brun (Ely City) and P Raines 34 39. 72: R Pritchard (Cretingham) and D Tuckwell 34 38. 71: R Stocker (Heacham Manor) and P Searle 33 38, M Timson (King's Lynn) and D Israel 33 38. 70: N Mitchell (Bury Golf Range) and Michelle Hawkins 34 36. 69: M Allen (Eaton) and M Skipper 31 38. 68: T Varney (Bawburgh) and L Varney 31 37. 57: M Gardner (Barnham Broom) and S Gill 22 35.