PERSHORE hosted and won the second round of the 2017 PGL league in the first club gala at the new pool in Perdiswell, Worcester.

They were pitched against strong opposition in Cheltenham, Northgate and Oldbury in the development competition with speeding tickets issued to give less experienced swimmers the chance to compete.

The first few of the 60-race gala were fast and furious and Pershore took four speeding tickets in the first five races.

Overall there were 10 on the night for Caitlin Yates (13) 50-metre butterfly 33.69 seconds, Ollie Smith (12) 50m backstroke 38.01, Isobel Fairchild (11) 50m backstroke 39.36, Lewis Cribbin (11) 25m breaststroke 20.31, Millie Thomas (9) 25m freestyle 17.95, Josh Heeks (9) 25m breaststroke 23.52 and 25m butterfly 18.88, Frankie Barry (8) 25m backstroke 21.18, Sophie Thomas (13) 50m breaststroke 40.84 and Ethan Stanley (11) 25m backstroke 20.07.

The team then started to put points on the board and achieved 20 first places, 16 seconds and 11 thirds.

Pershore race winners included Olivia Weaver (11) 25m breaststroke, Yates (13) 50m backstroke, Ellie Williams (11) 25m freestyle, Fairchild (11) 50m breaststroke, Catherine Rendall-Baker (11) 25m butterfly, Toby Stanley (10) 25m freestyle, Holly Underwood (10) 25m freestyle, Smith (12) 50m freestyle, Natalija Kelly (9) 25m backstroke, Luke Betteridge (13) 50m freestyle and Mia Underwood (9) 25m butterfly.

There were multiple relay team wins also.

It was a dogfight up to the last two races with Pershore and Cheltenham competing for the overall win.

The final two races were the cannons.

The boys' 10x25m cannon team of Josh Heeks (9), Ioan Underwood (9), Harry Barnett (10), Jack Porter (10), Stanley (11), Cribbin (11), James Heeks (11), Daniel Chalk (12), Betteridge (13) and Alfie Brown (13), swam furiously but were pipped by Northgate, however, there was a crucial disqualification for Cheltenham.

It was then left to the girls’ cannon team to secure the win.

Millie Thomas (9), Mia Underwood (9), Jess English (10), Holly Underwood (10), Rendall-Baker (11), Williams (11), Kelly (11), Fairchild (12), Yates (13) and Izzie Cumming (14) were superb, touching in five seconds ahead of Cheltenham to win the race and take the overall gala victory.

Pershore scored 151 points with Cheltenham on 147, Northgate on 125 and Oldbury on 118.

After two rounds of four Pershore lie in joint fourth place and the top eight positions qualify for the final in June.

Other team members in the gala were Ronan Williams (13), Ella Webley (12), Holly Styler (12), Kian Baker (11), Tara Smith (12), Andrew Thorner (11), Calum Edwards (11) and Grace Styler (10).