YOUNGSTERS battled for honours in the Butterfly Worcestershire schools’ junior individual table tennis championships at Evesham’s St Egwin’s Middle.

Blackminster Middle pupil Anna Cole was player of the tournament as she went undefeated to win the under 13s girls’ round-robin competition involving five players from Evesham.

Bella Reid from St Egwin’s and Rebecca Arrandale, Sophie Arrandale and Emily Grove from Bredon Hill Academy also competed.

Grove and Reid, who won a trophy for good sportsmanship, took games from their three more accomplished rivals.

A close battle depended on the final match which the consistent Cole won 3-1 against Rebecca Arrandale to prevent a three-way tie with Sophie Arrandale who eventually finished second ahead of her sister.

Blackminster’s Johnny Blakely has been competing against adults in the Evesham and District League this season for Littleton Giants and was too experienced for his three opponents in the boys’ section.

He won all his matches 3-0 with Harry Hawkins-Pitts finishing second and Ollie Dishart third.

The under 11s girls’ group competition drew seven girls from Blackminster, Littleton and St Egwin’s.

Emily Ward, Katie Fisher, Pippa Thomas and Olivia Srodulska put in valiant efforts against older girls.

The first semi-final between school friends saw Tallulah Brown fight back to beat Lara Hodgkins 3-1 while Blackminster’s Anna Blakely defeated Pippa Thomas 3-0.

Hodgkins beat Thomas 3-0 in the third-place play-off.

In the final, Brown was overpowered by Blakely who emulated her older brother to win all of her matches 3-0 on the day.

The under 11s boys’ section drew 17 competitors from across Worcestershire.

The first semi-final saw Alex Setchell of Meadow Green Primary, Wythall, defeat Alfie Saunders of Blackminster 3-2.

Ben Fellows of Royal Grammar School Worcester enjoyed a 3-0 win over David Morrish of Burlish Park Primary, Stourport.

Saunders beat Morrish 3-0 in the third-place play-off.

The final was a titanic struggle as Setchell led 2-1 and went ahead in the fourth game only for Fellows to claw back and tie the match.

Fellows, the beaten finalist last year, this time clinched the decider 11-8 to triumph 3-2.

John Mckay from Worcestershire Schools Table Tennis Association presented the trophies.