Cambridgeshire Open Report

Eight senior county players made their presence felt in the well supported Cambridgeshire Open, with Ian Murphy and Sharn Crane bringing home winners trophies. Murphy teamed up with Daniel Plant (Essex) to take the mens doubles title, their second open title in two weeks, comfortably beating the Beds pair, Darren Kerrins and Andy Norris, 15-10, 15-1 in the final. Alex Wyett and Christian Neilsen and Richard Nash and Justin Gerrard made it to the quarter finals.

Meanwhile, Sharn Crane and her Suffolk partner, Toni Sturgeon were battling through two tough three setters to reach the final of the womens doubles, where they met the unrelated Worcestershire pair of Reggie and Tracey Baker, who had, earlier, put out Amber Lillingstone and Katherine Cooper. In another close match Crane and Sturgeon came out on top 15-8, 5-15, 15-10, although Reggie Baker had to retire towards the end of the third set with severe cramp.

Murphy and Sturgeon reached the final of the mixed doubles, knocking out Gerrard and Crane en route. But the existing title holders never got going in the final, losing too comfortably to David and Claire Buckingham, the husband and wife duo from Buckinghamshire.

* The county Over 40s team had a good 9-3 victory over Cambridgeshire in the Veterans League. The men, Eddie Simmons and Steve Thacker and Geoff Roff and David Guy won all four of their level doubles, whilst the ladies, Suzanne Benton and debut making Norma Bowen and Jenny Longmore and Sandra Robinson shared their games. Norfolk made the match safe by winning three of the mixed, through Simmons and Benton, Guy and Bowen and Roff and Robinson. Meanwhile, the Over 50s came out on top 7-5 against Northants, winning three mens, one ladies and three mixed doubles. Peter Astle and Alan Palmer won all their games, with Bob Tooby, Bob Henderson, Ann Hutchin, Linda Foster, Sandra Peacock and Carol Longland all contributing to a well deserved victory.

* The Under 17s enjoyed a very convincing 17-3 victory over the Bedfordshire second string in the latest round of Shires League matches. Team: Jonathan Cooper, Daniel Evans, Andrew Piff, Ryan Minns, Stephanie Buttle, Sarah Lewin, Kirstie Spinks and Pavitra Chotai.