HEREFORDSHIRE'S young squash players have been starring at the Herefordshire Squash & Racketball Association's Junior County Closed championship at Hereford Whitecross Club.

The competition covered under-11s, a combined under-13 and under-15s and under-17 categories with a fun event taking place for younger competitors.

A full afternoon of squash was provided for all competitors with every athlete guaranteed four games.

Owen Fish and George Grismond won through to the final with Tom Lewis and Sam Harris fighting it out for third and fourth places in the under 11s.

Lewis played a controlled game to take third place despite Harris' brave resistance.

In the final, Fish seemed to have the match in his grasp after winning the first game but Grismond rallied and fought back to take the title.

In the under-13/15s group, Jack Harris took on Flynn Edmonds in the third/fourth play-off.

It was Edmonds' first experience of competitive squash and he acquitted himself admirably but Harris’ greater experience was enough to see him win through. In the final for this age group brothers Luke and Connor Wilkins treated spectators to a titanic battle. Connor took the early advantage winning the first game but Luke’s greater strength and fitness eventually told to see him win the title.

The under-17 category featured a range of experience and ages. The play-off for third and fourth saw Harry Hutton take on the youngest player in the group Owen Davies. Hutton’s game had developed quickly throughout the afternoon and, despite losing to his opponent earlier in the afternoon, he was able to defeat the younger player and take third place. The final was a relatively one-sided with the very experienced Ben Brookes overcoming the brave resistance of Tom Sharp in his first competition.

The winners and runners-up in all categories received new racquets and the third and fourth place competitors received sports bags donated by Dunlop.