1st team starts well after Christmas break

The county first team started 2009 as they finished 2008 with another emphatic victory, this time over Cambridgeshire by 13 games to 2. This win makes it five in a row for the jubilant Norfolk side, who can now look forward to a quick return to Division 1 of the Victor Sports Inter County Championships.

In the opening singles matches Ian Murphy and Julie Pike had comfortable two sets victories, whilst Jonny Cooper battled well to win in three. Making her first team singles debut, Helen Newstead fought hard but just lost out in a tight three setter.

Murphy and Grahame Wells had no trouble in winning both their mens doubles, whilst Alex Wyett and Justin Gerrard picked up one, defeating their opponents first pair. The ladies, Katherine Cooper and Toni Sturgeon and Pike and Newstead hardly broke sweat, winning all four of their games without being stretched.

The mixed saw some slightly closer games, but all three went Norfolks way, with Murphy and Katherine Cooper, Gerrard and Pike and Jonny Cooper and Sturgeon emphasising Norfolks superiority over a struggling Cambridgeshire side who look destined to the big drop to Division 3 at the seasons end.

* The countys Under 17s team were very disappointed with a 10 all draw in their Shires League match against Bedfordshire, having led the home team 8-4 before the level doubles started. The girls won two of their matches but, unfortunately the boys came unstuck losing all four of theirs, thus allowing Beds to snatch an unexpected draw. The team now face Lincolnshire next weekend needing a win to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Representing Norfolk were: Craig Thomas, Adam Stubbing, Andrew Carrier, Mark Robinson, Luke Cox, Charlotte Crosby, Bryony Lund, Holly Bowen and Serena Verney.

* It was a good weekend for Sophie Piper, a member of the county Under 15s team. On Saturday she travelled down to Woking to play in the Surrey Badminton England Bronze tournament and played very well to win the girls singles event and then, on Sunday, she travelled north to join her county team mates in a Shires League match against Northamptonshire. The team maintained their recent run of good form with a comfortable 18-2 victory, with only three games going to three sets. They have won four of their five matches played so far this season and with just two home matches to go could still reach the play-offs.The team was Tom Hinks, Ed Allen, Chris Parrott, James Bailey, Sophie Piper, Louise Thacker, Lauren Read and Amy Sharman.