Favourites Bishop's Stortford & Pontefract Win National Club Titles

Bishop's Stortford stormed to their first men's title in the English National Club Championships at the weekend, while Pontefract regained their women's crown at the England Squash event at Nottingham Squash Club.

The Hertfordshire club were hot favourites to claim the men's trophy with Australia's world No5 Anthony Rickets and England's world No23 Peter Barker leading their charge. Stortford cruised into the final with a 5-0 victory over Essex club Lexden in the semi-finals before defeating hosts Nottingham 4-1 in an entertaining finale to the weekend. Bishop's Stortford made their breakthrough in this year's event when they beating title-holders Colets Thames Ditton in the quarter-finals.

Pontefract women were determined to put last year's disappointment behind them and reclaim the title that they have won for three of the last four years. Despite being without their No1 Becky Botwright, who was away on WISPA duty, the Yorkshire club proved too strong for Colets and secured the title for the seventh time since 1991 with a 4-1 win.

Bishop's Stortford and Pontefract have now qualified to represent England in the European Club Championships in Sweden in September.

After failing to make the Men's semi finals for the first time in many years, Colets were still in Nottingham in force and retained their Men's Over 35 title for the fourth year running and added the Men's Over 45 crown to their tally. Bexley retained the Men's Over 55 trophy after defeating Nottingham, while London's New Eltham claimed their fifth Women's Over 35 title.

Nottingham really embraced the National Club Championships - and boasted a staggering seven teams competing in the various categories and plate competitions. After finishing runners-up in four main finals, the hosts were finally rewarded when their Non County Mixed team defeated Woking 3-1 to claim the National title.

Lexden won the Racketball title while Pontefract reclaimed the Junior Mixed title that they last won in 2003.

Men's Final
Bishops Stortford bt Nottingham 4 - 1
Anthony Ricketts bt Jethro Binns 9-1 9-6 9-2
Peter Barker lost to James Wright 9-6 9-10 7-9
Iain Higgins bt Lewis Walters 9-1 9-6 9-3
Harry Leitch bt Chris McQuilkin 9-4 9-4 9-5
Galen Le Cheminant bt Eddie Charlton 9-6 9-6 9-4

Women's Final
Pontefract bt Colets 4 - 1
Lauren Siddall bt Alexa Prior 9-4 9-2 9-3
Kirsty McPhee bt Irena Critchley 9-0 9-0 9-2
Deon Saffery bt Sarah Thornton 9-0 6-9 9-0 9-2
Sarah Bowles bt Tamsin Bennett 9-4 9-3 9-7
Kate Wademan lost to Charlie Roche 4-9 2-9 9-2 3-9

Men's Over 35 Final
Colets bt Nottingham 5 - 0
Mark Cairns bt Richard O'Connor 9-2 9-0 9-0
Danny Meddings bt Simon Spencer 9-7 9-0 9-1
Greg Pearman bt Craig Archibald 9-3 9-5 10-8
David Stanton bt Karl Murray 9-10 10-8 9-2 9-6
Barry Gage bt Alister Parsons 9-1 9-2 9-2

Women's Over 35 Final
New Eltham bt Chapel Allerton 3 - 0
Mandy Akin bt Lucy Shuttleworth 9-3 9-3 9-0
Candy Wilton bt Helen Townend 10-8 9-0 9-0
Karen Hume bt Claire Anderson 9-3 9-0 9-4

Men's Over 45 Final
Colets bt Nottingham 3 - 0
Alan Thompson bt Richard O'Connor 10-8 9-4 9-7
Dermot Hurford bt Gawain Briars 10-9 9-3
Barry Gage bt Granville Berry 9-2 3-9 10-8 9-0

Men's Over 55 Final
Bexley bt Nottingham 2 - 1
Peter Lewis bt Alan Turner 9-5 2-9 9-5 9-6
Ken Randall lost to Adrian Wright 1-9 1-9 ret.
John Prowse bt David Hardern 9-5 5-9 9-6 9-5

Junior Mixed Final
Pontefract bt Chichester 5 - 0
Neil Cordell bt Chris Rand 9-0 9-4 9-4
Adam Taylor bt Phil Bull 9-5 9-2 6-9 9-6
Sam Wileman bt Stephen Wykes 9-1 9-4 10-9
Pontefract Walkover
Pontefract Walkover

Non County Mixed Final
Nottingham bt Woking 3 - 1
Matt King bt Richard Housley 9-1 9-2 9-2
Karl Murray bt Adrian Hayward 2-9 9-3 9-5 6-9 9-1
Sarah Zipser bt Sarena Gardner 9-2 4-9 3-9 9-7 9-7
Charlotte Moffat lost to Karen Ayton 9-1 9-6 4-9 0-9 6-9

Racketball Final
Lexden bt Racquets Thame 3 - 2
Daryl Selby bt Andy McDonald 15-8 15-8 15-9
Paul Allen bt Tom Phipps 15-8 15-9 15-9
Chris Smith bt Simon Martin 15-9 15-10 15-9
Chris Wheat lost to Steve Bateman 5-15 6-1 ret.
Elliot Selby lost to Harry Hillier 2-15 10-15 15-4 8-15