Strong entry for Under 14s Moderates

There was a good entry for the Under 14s moderates tournament, open to non-county squad players. The boys singles, attracting players as young as ten years of age, was played in two round-robin groups and produced some very close matches, although the semi-finals and final were more clear cut. In the first semi, Carl Bell beat Isaak Lewis-Smith 21-5 whilst Matthew Larkman beat Jonathan Malcolm 21-14 in the other match. In the final Bell used his greater height and power to take the title 21-5 Partnered by James Savage he then moved on to win the level doubles, from runners-up Richard Simpson and Jacob Trend.

The girls doubles saw eight pairs playing against each other in one large group, which produced a very close competition, with each of the pairs losing at least one match in the early rounds. Going into the final round, three couples had a chance of winning the title. Alex Witting and Molly Grange beat Jessica Arneil and Hannah Wicks to finish in second place, but the youngest girls in the competition, Kate Sawyer and Elspeth Straffon-Lawrence held their nerve to win their final game 21-16 to become champions. Alex and Elspeth were also in action in the singles event, with Alex taking the title by beating Elspeth 21-18 in the deciding match.

* Buckinghamshire has a strong Under 15s squad with three of their players in the countrys top 50, so the Shires League match against them was always going to be a tough one for a Norfolk side weakened by the absence of two experienced players. But all members of the team rose to the challenge and displayed a high level of determination and commitment before going under 5-15. The final scoreline was not a true reflection of the play, with eight of the twenty games going to three sets, but with all eight finishing in Bucks favour. Representing Norfolk were:Tom Hinks, Ed Allen, Andrew Kitchen, Ben Tozer, Sophie Piper, Louise Thacker, Lauren Read and Amy Sharman.

* Adam Neale, Adam Simmons, Ben Allan and Daniel Cordeaux got their first taste of junior county competitive action when they represented Norfolk in a friendly Under 17s boys match against Suffolk, which they won 20-0. Needless to say, they are now hungry for more!