County stars show spirit to win group

WARWICKSHIRE Men underlined their fighting spirit as they won Group 3A of the Winter County Cup at Edgbaston Priory Club by a single rubber from highly-fancied East of Scotland.

It was a proud double for new men’s county captain Gavin Henderson who in July led his young side to the Summer County Championship, Group 5, after years in the doldrums.

Henderson’s men knew that following an 8-1 win over South Wales and a 5-4 loss to East of Scotland, they needed a handsome victory over previously unbeaten Durham to take the title.

Mason Recci, 22, from Solihull, a former British junior number 1, led the charge, beating his opposite number Cameron Malik Jonathan Binding in straight sets.

Warwickshire number 2 Jake Hersey, 19, originally from Rugby but now, like Recci, training in Spain, dismissed Durham’s Daniel Bennett while Stratford-on-Avon coach Simon Ferguson cannily outplayed Adam Barraclough and despite carrying an injury won every match he played.

Big-serving Richard Partridge, from Coventry, at number 4 singles dropped only three games en route to victory over Sean Galpin.

With the Scots thrashing South Wales, it all came down to rubbers and leading 5-1 after the singles round against Durham, Warwickshire needed just one rubber from the three doubles matches.

Partridge and the lively Warwick Boat Club coach Cameron Malik were narrowly edged out in a thriller against an inspired Durham thirds but Recci and Hersey secured the title, out-hitting the Durham firsts, to the delight of Warwickshire’s vociferous band of supporters.