Parkway ladies reach the Top Club final

After victories over Wiltshire club Box and the powerful Kings club from Devon, they were beaten in the final by Wigton, the defending champions from Cumbria.

It was an impressive performance from the city side, especially as they had two internationals missing from their squad – Michelle Barlow, on honeymoon, and Chloe Brett, on duty for the England Under 18s at Clevedon where they defeated Wales 17-7.

Parkway and the eventual winners both received byes through to the quarter-finals.

There Parkway defeated Box 3-1 in their opening match and then toppled probable favourites Kings by the same score in the semi-finals, where Sarah Newson, in the singles, and Hannah Overton and Catherine Popple, in the pairs, achieved notable successes against current England golden girls Sophie Tolchard and Natalie Chestney.

Wigton, though, were determined to retain the title, winning all four rubbers in the final, although three of them were only by slender margins.

RESULTS

Quarter-finals;

Parkway bt Box (Wilts) 3-1 (Parkway names first):

Singles: Emma Thurston lost 15-21 to Jean Collier; Pairs: Hannah Overton & Catherine Popple bt Karen Funnell and Alex Jacobs 20-18; Mel Randell, Karen Martin, Julie Masters bt Lolly Braddon, Kathryn Newman, Sue Cooke 19-14; Sarah Newson, Merisha McKernan, Val Newson, Pat Reynolds bt Kara Little, Jane Taylor, Debbie Shadwell, Michele Williams 24-8.

Semi-finals

Parkway bt Kings (Devon) 3-1 (Parkway names first):

Singles: Sarah Newson bt Sophie Tolchard 21-16; Pairs: Overton & Popple bt Kelly Atkinson & Natalie Chestney 18-16; Randell, Martin, Masters lost 9-24 to Sarah Ashton, Ruth Rogers and Lorraine Hackett; Fours: Thurston, McKernan, Val Newson, Reynolds bt Pat Hicks, Charlotte Aspinall, Jan Boyt, Sue Bywaters 22-20.

Final

Parkway lost 0-4 to Wigton (Cumbria) (Parkway names first):

Singles: Sarah Newson lost 16-21 to Carol Baxter; Pairs: Overton & Popple lost 16-18 to Abbie & Nicola Bowe; Triples: Randell, Martin, Masters lost 5-22 to Christine Wharton, Pauline Yates, Kath Baxter; Fours: Thurston, McKernan, Val Newson, Reynolds lost 17-18 to Karen Westwood, Anne Dalziel, Penny Peile, Jeanette Bell.

n The last divisional honours in the Peterborough League were settled last week with West Ward Tigers being confirmed champions of the Club 60 League Premier Division.

However, runners-up Ketton Welland were left to rue a five-point penalty incurred earlier in the season for postponing a fixture, as they finished just four points adrift of the title winners.

The League presentations are taking place at the Parkway club on Friday, November 10.