Warwickshire emerged the champions after a close and exciting County Championships Junior Premier Division weekend.

Day 1 at Wood Green Table Tennis Academy began with holders Middlesex playing newly promoted Buckinghamshire, who they beat 6-4.

Four of the ties went to the fifth game and Middlesex won three of them as Max Gonpot beat Edward Overy 8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9; Parmis Ahsani beat Anna Piercey 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6; and Ben Levi lost to Jamie Woodford 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11 but beat William Saint 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9.

Meanwhile, Warwickshire thumped Sussex 8-2, the notable matches were Ryan Goodier’s 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7) win over Chun Wai Sheung; Bly Twomey beating Cheuk Lam Agnes Liu 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-8); and Nathaniel Saunders getting the better of Harry Yip 3-2 (9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7). 

Essex ground out a hard-fought win over Derbyshire 6-4 with four matches going the full distance. Harry Chivers lost to Joseph Cooper 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 6-11; Maliha Baig beat Millie Noble 15-17, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11, 11-4; Harry Chivers beat Winston Hill 11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-4 and Evie Knaapen beat Millie Noble 11-6, 6-11, 11-3, 10-12, 14-12.

Lancashire beat Nottinghamshire 7-3 where two out of three five-setters went the way of Nottinghamshire – Zarita Lo lost to Bethany Ellis 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 8-11 but beat Brooke Morris 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8 and Frederick Jones beat Hui Yeung Elliott Chan 5-11, 11-4, 14-12, 12-14, 14-12.

Round 2

An impressive Sussex beat Middlesex 6-4, both counties sharing two five-setters with Morgan Turner losing to Ben Levi 12-14, 15-13, 11-7, 7-11, 12-14, Ryan Goodier beating Max Gonpot 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9; Bly Twomey losing to Luna Archard 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 and Goodier beating Marcel Ndongala 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-3.

Derbyshire provided a stiff test for Warwickshire drawing the tie 5-5. Four of the nine matches went to five. Winston Hill lost to Chun Wai Sheung 9-11, 15-13, 1-11, 15-13, 9-11; Millie Noble beat Cheuk Lam Agnes Liu 11-5, 5-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7; Joseph Cooper beat Rex Wong 11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-8; and Naomi Coker beat Liu 4-11, 3-11, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10.

Lancashire beat Essex 6-4 to move to top of the table after the second round. Five of the nine ties were decided in the fifth set. Noah Marshall won against Harrison Hill 4-11, 3-11, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10; Brooke Morris against Evie Knaapen 11-8, 11-13, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4; Bethany Ellis against Maliha Baig 11-3, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7; Hui Yeung Elliott Chang against Harry Chivers 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7; and Fraser Massey against Harrison Hill 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11.

Buckinghamshire beat Nottinghamshire 6-4. Four of the matches were five setters. Edward Overy beat Samuel Batty 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 7-11; Anna Piercey lost to Zarita Lo 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 9-11; William Saint beat Edward Day 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 14-12, 11-8 and then beat Frederick Jones 6-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8.

Round 3

In the final round of day one, Middlesex ended their day with a draw against Derbyshire. Two went to a decider as Luna Archard beat Millie Noble 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 and Ben Levi beat Joseph Cooper 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8.

Lancashire’s 6-4 win over Warwickshire saw them top the table at the end of the day. The girls from Lancashire turned the tide with both Brooke Morris and Bethany Ellis winning their matches. Brooke beat Sum Monica Chang 5-11, 11-6, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6 and Cheuk Lam Agnes Liu 11-8, 3-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9. Bethany beat Cheuk Lam Agnes Liu 8-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7 and Sum Monica Chang 11-6, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9.

Essex heaped on more misery on Nottinghamshire beating them 7-3, the notable tie of the match was Frederik Jones’ win over Essex’s top player Aarav Parihar by a 3-2 (11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8) score.

Buckinghamshire proved a tad strong for a valiant Sussex team, winning 6-4. Jamie Woodford lost his battle against Harry Yip 5-11, 12-10, 2-11, 14-12, 3-11: who was later beaten by William Saint 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9. Saint also beat Morgan Turner 9-11, 11-5, 7-11, 15-13, 11-4.

Round 4

Overnight leaders Lancashire had a bit of a misfortunate start to the day with Bethany Ellis with five wins out of five reporting ill with an eye infection and could not pay the remaining matches. Consequently, the loss to Middlesex was a bit demoralising, though Charlie Williams put up a stiff fight against Ben Levi 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 9-11 and Noah Marshall gave Marcel Ndongola a rough time 11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 1-11, 6-11.

Warwickshire began the day with a thumping win over Nottinghamshire with Zarita Lo the only Notts player to win. She beat Charlotte Lokching Wong 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9) and Sum Monica Chang 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 13-11). 

Essex’s title ambitions were dented when Buckinghamshire beat them 6-4. Three ties went the full distance, notably Maliha Baig over Anna Piercey (Bucks) 11-9, 7-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7, as well as Piercey against Evie Knaapen 11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-4 and Harry Chivers against Jamie Woodford (Bucks) 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8.

At this stage the author’s money was on Warwickshire but was sternly told by the Warwickshire NPC to keep his thoughts to himself. Derbyshire put their hat in the ring with a 7-3 win over Sussex. Harry Yip with two wins and Ryan Goodier with one win were the only resistance offered by Sussex.

Round 5

Middlesex gave their hopes a boost when they beat Nottinghamshire 7-3. Warwickshire put paid to the slightest hope that Essex may have had with a 6-4 win. Rex Wong ground out a 3-2 win over Aarav Parihar 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7 as did Chun Wai Sheung over Harrison Hill 11-8, 6-11, 13-11, 16-18, 11-7 in the opening two matches. Evie Knaapen pulled one back with a win over Sum Monica Chang 11-13, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 as did Mailha Baig in three straight over Charlotte Lokching Wong. The next four matches were tied at two apiece and the final two results were in favour of Warwickshire’s Nathaniel Saunders and Chun Wai Sheung with straight wins over Aarav Parihar and Harry Chivers.

Sussex beat Lancashire 6-4 to keep their hopes of survival in the Premier Division alive. Harry Yip’s win over Fraser Massey and Bly Twomey’s win over Brooke Morris were probably the outstanding matches of the round. Derbyshire beat Buckinghamshire 7-3.

Round 6

At this stage the leaders were Warwickshire with three wins, one draw and one loss for 7pts, followed by Middlesex in second on sets difference and Derbyshire, Lancashire and Buckinghamshire in that order all on 6pts.

Essex put paid to Middlesex’s hopes with a resounding win 7-3, with five of the nine ties going Essex’s way as Harrison Hill beat Max Gonpot 11-4, 6-11, 11-1, 4-11, 11-7; Maliha Baig beat Luna Archard 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 2-11, 11-4; Baig beating Parmis Ahsani 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7; Aarav Parihar beating Ben Levi 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9; and Harrison Hill beating Marcel Ndongala 11-2, 8-11, 12-10, 7-11, 13-11.

In a nail-biting match Warwickshire beat Buckinghamshire 6-4 to boost their hopes of taking the title with Rex Wong beating Buckinghamshire’s top ranked William Saint 3-2 (10-12, 11-7, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8). The Bucks girls Rachael Iles and Anna Piercey won both their matches to level the match at 4-4 before Nathaniel Saunders and Chun Wai Sheung won their encounters 3-0 to give Warwickshire their win.

Sussex beat bottom-placed Nottinghamshire 6-4 to ensure that Notts finished bottom of the table and were relegated. Lancashire drew with Derbyshire, making it mathematically difficult for Derbyshire to win the championships.

Round 7

Warwickshire took the title with a convincing 7-3 win over Middlesex in the final round. Nathaniel Saunders’ only blemish of the weekend was his loss to Marcel Ndongala.

In a largely one-sided affair Essex beat Sussex to leap to third place. Derbyshire thumped Nottinghamshire 8-2 to end up as runners-up and Buckinghamshire drew with Lancashire.

All in all, it was a very competitive weekend with some of the top players in their counties displaying their talent. A noteworthy mention must go to Naomi Coker for her 100% record. Thanks to all the umpires who were in attendance to help with the smooth running of the event.