Leamington League players find it tough going on the national stage

Lillington Free Church’s Timmy Cooper reached the last 16 of the under-15 boys’ event after coming second in his group courtesy of wins over Tom Kent, Alex Nagle and Callum Goodwin.

He then beat Lewis Acton in the last 32 before falling to England number one and the eventual champion Tom Jarvis (-7,-4,-13).

Free Church had a second representative in this age group in the shape of Sam Weaving who is the Oxfordshire Schools’ champion.

Weaving won two out of four, narrowly missing out on the knockout stages.

Jesse Kendrick-Hill of Rugby made the last 32 in the under-19 boys’ after claiming second spot in his group but was defeated by Daniel McTernan.

In the under-13 boys’ the inexperienced Jack Green won one of his group games to bolster his confidence.

His sister Milly competed in the under-11 girls, missing out on the final stages on countback after winning three of her five matches.

Twelve-year-old Ciara Hancox, also from the Free Church stable, recorded a morale-boosting win in the under-13 girls but failed to progress from her group as did Colebridge’s Lisa Rinnhofer in the under-16s’.

Free Church 15-year-old Olivia Fletcher competed in the under-19s but still managed to beat Lorna Maxwell, with two deuce games costing her qualification in her other two matches.

Colebridge TTC won the Warwickshire team championships at Colebridge on Sunday overcoming a Free Church junior team in the final.

Edward Lynn, Sam Henderson and Ben Wilson won all nine matches against Timmy Cooper, Lee Dorning and Sam Weaving in a contest that was far from as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.