Youngsters make mark on international stage
A host of local youngsters represented England at the World Junior-B Curling Championships in Lohja, Finland.
Tunbridge Wells star Olly Kendall, 21, skipped the junior men, with Cranbrook School pupil Jake Barker, 18, his vice-skip and 16-year-old Maidstone Grammar School student Ben Holley from Staplehurst playing as first.
England beat Slovenia in their first match 5-3 but lost their second against Spain 4-3.
Their third match against Estonia resulted in a 6- 4 win but they lost out to the eventual Championship winners Russia in their fourth game.
Their third win against Austria in the fifth equalled the previous England Junior Men’s best ever performance and was followed by wins against the hosts Finland and unbeaten Denmark, who were ebeaten finalists.
England faced Spain in a tie-breaker for a place in the quarter-finals but despite coming from 3- 0 down to level at 3-3, they lost on the final stone to finish 12th of 24.
The women’s team was skipped by 19-year-old Lucy Sparks of Horsmonden, with Sarah Decoine, 18, of Tonbridge as her vice-skip and Becca Watts, 18, of Tonbridge as alternate. They played Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria and Slovenia, losing the first four matches before beating Italy and Austria in their last two games to finish 17th of 21 teams.
The youngsters belong to the Kent and Sussex Junior Curling Club based at Fentons Curling Rink, Dundale Farm, Tunbridge Wells.