Cambridgeshire’s over-40's racketball team became the inaugural national inter-county champions with a "flawless victory" over a two-day competition at Berkhamsted Lawn Tennis & Squash Club in Hertfordshire.

Fielding only three players (option of playing up to five players): Dan Soar (City of Peterborough Squash Club), Colin Griggs (captain, Hunts County Squash Club) and John Dewis (St Ivo Squash Club), the team entered the competition as the number one seeds.

In a great team format of three singles and one doubles matches, every point and game counted as technically each tie could end in a 2-2 draw in matches which would result in a “count back” to decide the winner.

On first day of play, Cambridgeshire faced two strong sides from the midlands, where the racket ball community is well developed. Leicestershire were the first side to fall to a 4-0 loss, with the standout performance coming from Dewis (returning from an illness lay-off period) in the final singles match to start the championships perfectly for Cambs.

A very strong Warkwickshire side also fell to a 4-0 defeat in the second fixture of the day, with Griggs battling back from 0-2 down to win the tie with a battling 3-2 victory in tough conditions in the heat.

The second day started against home team and second seeds Hertfordshire A, who were also unbeaten on day one, in what was effectively the final.

Soar produced the quality of matchplay that has won him national titles at over-35s and over-40s age categories, to start the tie perfectly with a dominant 3-0 victory….which the team fed off to complete their third 4-0 victory and seal the national title.

This left the formality of finishing the weekend versus Hertfordshire B, who became the next victims for the Cambridgeshire ‘flawless victory’, leaving the overall championship result as Cambs: 16, Rest of England: 0.

Team captain Colin Griggs said: “It’s been a superb weekend for the county, and a real pleasure to play team racketball whereas we normally play team squash. Really proud of the team and we head towards the national singles in July in Birmingham hoping to represent the county as well again”.

For more information about the sport (played in England on traditional squash courts) head to: UK Racketball - Home (uk-racketball.com)