WORCESTERSHIRE sent seven county champion school teams to the Butterfly Schools Zone Table Tennis Finals at Wood Green Academy, Wednesbury.

The under-11s girls from Littleton School and boys from St Egwin’s, Evesham, and the under-13s girls and boys from Blackminster, Evesham, found the competition too hot to handle.

They were up against schools from Birmingham, the Black Country, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.

The boys and girls played their hearts out but wins were hard to come by.

Worcestershire was represented in the under-19s boys by St Michael’s College, Tenbury, and Bromsgrove School and the under-16s by Prince Henry’s School, Evesham.

In a round-robin tournament format, Bromsgrove won 6-2 against old foes St Michael’s, who lost 7-1 to Wood Green.

Bromsgrove drew 4-4 with Joseph Chamberlain College, Birmingham.

Even with county individual champion Kenneth Li, St Michael’s lost 8-0 to Joseph Chamberlain.

Bromsgrove fell 6-2 to Wood Green, who went through as winners to the regional finals in Bristol.

The runners-up spot for the regional finals in Bournemouth on March 19 went to Bromsgrove on games won against Joseph Chamberlain.

They face the winners of the London and Morpeth zones and the runners-up from the Plymouth area.

Prince Henry’s players Craig Witheford, Ali Witheford, Ed Sommers and Jon Lyons defeated Dr Challoner’s School, Buckinghamshire 5-3.

They drew 4-4 with both Hamstead Hall Academy, Birmingham and Bishop of Hereford’s School to go through to the semi finals.

The Evesham teenagers beat Ashlawn School, Rugby, 7-1 before a dramatic final against Bishop of Hereford’s.

It ended 4-4 but Prince Henry’s triumphed 16-14 on a count-back of games won.

They go to the regional finals at Bristol on March 20 to face the winners of the Plymouth zone and runners-up from the Morpeth and London areas.