A formidable Cambridgeshire team overtook champions Essex to win the Cadet Premier Division of the County Championships.
The matches took place on 22-23 February at Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury, delivering an exhilarating weekend of high-intensity competition.
Round 1
Defending champions Essex began their title defence in dominant fashion with a resounding 10-0 victory over Nottinghamshire, dropping only a single game in the entire match.
Newcomers Cambridgeshire made an immediate impact, fielding a formidable team and securing a 7-3 victory over Middlesex. The opening matches were hard-fought, with Oscar Nikolli (Middlesex) narrowly losing to Kai Lun Chow in a five-game thriller (13-11, 7-11, 11-3, 5-11, 8-11). Nishil Shah also endured a narrow loss to Lewis Wu (12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 10-12).
However, Cambridgeshire’s top-ranked girls, Hannah Saunders and Amber Lemmon, secured comfortable wins, bolstering their team’s lead. Despite spirited resistance from Middlesex’s Sinan Surensoy and Oscar Nikolli, Cambridgeshire sealed victory with strong performances from their female contingent.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire announced their title ambitions with a 9-1 demolition of Derbyshire, while Sussex edged Surrey in a closely contested 6-4 battle. Sussex’s Finley Aitken gave his team the early lead, but Surrey’s Aryan Sarma responded with a five-game win over Ziad El-Hassan (6-11, 14-12, 9-11, 12-10, 12-10). Sussex eventually secured the victory with key wins from Ryan Goodier and Bly Twomey.
Round 2
Cambridgeshire continued their impressive form, stunning Essex 7-3 in a fiercely contested match featuring two five-setters and five four-setters. Kai Lun Chow prevailed over Aarav Parihar (8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9), while Amber Lemmon fell just short against Melisha Anthony (11-4, 6-11, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12).
Middlesex overpowered Derbyshire 9-1, with Zeina Negm’s loss to Millie Ufton (9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11) being their only blemish. Warwickshire also registered a commanding 9-1 win over Surrey, with Hojeong Yoon delivering Surrey’s sole victory against Rex Ho. Sussex dispatched Nottinghamshire 8-2, despite Sienna Svoboda losing both of her matches to Jessica Tansur and Anna Wong.
Round 3
Essex rebounded from their earlier setback, crushing Derbyshire 10-0, while Cambridgeshire mirrored that performance against Nottinghamshire.
Middlesex edged Surrey 7-3, with decisive wins from Nishil Shah and Maahi Malde in their five-set encounters. Meanwhile, Sussex dented Warwickshire’s title hopes with a thrilling 6-4 victory, thanks to crucial wins from Bly Twomey, Ryan Goodier, and Finley Aitken.
Day 2: Rounds 4 & 5
Essex kept their title defence alive with a 7-3 win over Surrey, with Lok You Lam securing two wins for Surrey. Middlesex edged Sussex 6-4 in another tight contest, with Parisa Ahsani and Zeina Negm winning in deciding games. Warwickshire and Cambridgeshire both recorded dominant 10-0 victories over Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, respectively.
Essex then solidified their second-place position by defeating Sussex 6-4, with standout performances from Bly Twomey and Finley Aitken for Sussex. Warwickshire narrowly overcame Middlesex 6-4, clinching victory with Hassan Damji’s five-game triumph over Nishil Shah (13-11, 11-9, 12-14, 9-11, 11-7). Cambridgeshire continued their dominance, overpowering Surrey 9-1, while Derbyshire edged Nottinghamshire 6-4.
Round 6: Penultimate Round
The biggest surprise of the round saw Cambridgeshire held to a 5-5 draw by Sussex. Despite an early lead, Cambridgeshire couldn’t shake off Sussex’s determined fightback, spearheaded by Bly Twomey’s victory over Hannah Saunders (11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9), preserving her 100% record.
Essex kept their grip on second place with a 6-4 win over Warwickshire, while Middlesex steamrolled Nottinghamshire 10-0. Surrey secured their survival in the Premier Division with a 7-3 win over Derbyshire.
Final Round (7)
The newly crowned champions Cambridgeshire capped off their title-winning campaign with an emphatic 8-2 triumph over Warwickshire. The battle for runners-up saw Middlesex edge Essex 6-4, but Essex claimed second place on countback due to a superior sets ratio.
The final matches were largely one-sided, with Sussex beating Derbyshire 9-1 and Surrey crushing Nottinghamshire 10-0.
Final Standings: 1 Cambridgeshire – 13 points (Champions), 2 Essex – 10pts, 3 Middlesex – 10pts, 4 Sussex – 9pts, 5 Warwickshire – 8pts, 6 Surrey – 4pts, 7 Derbyshire – 2pts, 8 Nottinghamshire – 0pts.
