DORSET under-11s travelled to Stroud in Gloucestershire to compete in the English Schools Badminton Association Singles Team Challenge against teams from Avon, Devon, Shropshire, Staffordshire and the home county and returned with a very creditable third place.

The star of the Dorset team was 12-year-old Samantha Wiswould (Talbot Heath) who took second place overall out of 24 competitors. And just behind her was Jenny Sargent (Wareham Middle) in fourth place.

These two will now go forward to represent the South West in the national competition.

The event was staged with a series of mini leagues with the top players then being grouped together.

The competition started well for the local team with Wiswould winning her section and Sargent, Rachel Richards (Ringwood School), Michelle Farley (Talbot Heath), Matt Haynes (Moyles Court), Sam Jacobs (Canford Heath Middle) and Ethan Fox (Bearwood Primary) all taking second place.

The unluckiest player in the team was Robin Wilcox (Swanage Middle) who was equal first in his box with two other lads, all of whom had won two games and lost one, but Wilcox was condemned to third place after the countback of points won.

Top place went to Staffordshire but Dorset's performance underlines the strength of junior badminton locally.

The Dorset Schools Badminton Association hosted the Wessex under-12-year-old open tournament at the Littledown Centre and attracted a strong entry from throughout the south.

The best performance from a local competitor came from Tom Mansbridge (Bourne-mouth School).

He reached the quarter-finals of the singles, losing to Lee Thompson from Sussex, who went on to win the event.

Mansbridge then teamed up with Alix Deakin (Twynham) in the doubles and went one step further, losing in the semis, again to the eventual winners from Hertfordshire.

The next Wessex Open will again be at the Littledown Centre on Saturday, May 25, for under-14s. Entry forms and details can be ob-tained from Alan Breakwell on (01202) 694561.