Cambridgeshire Over 40s win National Title

The weekend of 25/26th April saw Cambridgeshire compete in the Over 40s Masters County Championships 2025/26 Finals at The University of Birmingham.

Cambs were drawn against Middlesex in the semi-final which took place on the afternoon of Saturday 25th April. Pairings of Martin Crossley/Ben Gardner and Neil Place/Simon Woodhouse dominated in the open doubles, winning all four rubbers, three in straight sets. This was followed up in style in the ladies doubles where pairings of Alison Meijers/Natalie Taylor and Sara Cunnington/Sara Moore dominated to again take all four rubbers in convincing fashion to secure the tie at 8-0 with the mixed still to play. A clean sweep in the four mixed rubbers, with Dan Bates stepping in to the fold, ensured a resounding 12-0 victory for Cambs, setting up a showdown against a strong Cheshire side in the Final on the Sunday.

In the Final, the four open doubles rubbers were shared between the sides with Crossley/Gardner maintaining their undefeated status on the weekend, leaving the tie level at 2-2. The ladies doubles saw Cambs pull out all the stops with some fantastic performances from both pairs to take all four rubbers, with Cunnington/Moore not dropping a set all weekend. this left Cambs on the verge of victory at 6-2, requiring just one of the four mixed doubles rubbers to bring the title home. The mixed doubles ended up shared 2-a-piece between the teams but Cambs had done enough to earn a convincing 8-4 win and take the over 40s Masters County Championships title for only the second time in the history of the competition.

Representing Cambs O40s were:

Sara Cunnington

Sara Moore

Alison Meijers

Natalie Taylor

Martin Crossley

Ben Gardner

Neil Place

Simon Woodhouse

Dan Bates

Masters County Championships

This season we have had four masters teams representing Cambridgeshire in the Masters County Championships.

Both of our Over 40s teams were in the Midlands East division, along with our Over 50s, with our Over 60s being in the South & East - East division.

Our Over 40s 1st Team won the Midlands East League, winning all 6 of their matches! On Sunday 29th March, our Over 40s 1st Team took to the court in their play offs as part of the Masters County Championships. They were victorious against Worcestershire and have qualified for the National Finals in April!

Natalie Taylor, Sara Cunnington, Sara Moore, Jen Hewitt.
Martin Crossley, Neil Place, Dan Bates, Simon Woodhouse, Ben Gardner.

Our Over 40s 2nd team also played in the Midlands East Division and finished 6th out of 7 in the league.

Our Over 40s players this season were: Graham Barr, Daniel Bates, Martin Crossley, Ben Garder, Paul Martell, Neil Place, James Wilson and Simon Woodhouse. Lauren Carey-Love, Olga Chernysheva, Sara Cunnington, Jen Hewitt, Alison Mclellan, Alison Meijers, Sara Moore, Angela Sharman, Janet Symonds, Natalie Taylor.

Our Over 50s played in the Midlands East Division and came 2nd out of 4, finishing behind Essex who they had two 6-6 draws against!

Our Over 50s players this season were: Graham Barr, Kevin Barron, Daniel Bates, Martyn Clark, John Foo, Mark Hsieh, Paul Hubbard, Paul Martell and Nick Pratt. Sandra Ashcroft, Sharon Chandler, Olga Chernysheva, Amanda Godfrey, Perveez Mody and Helen Taylor.

Our Over 60s played in the South & East Division and placed 6th out of 7 in the league.

Our Over 60s players this season were: Martin Beckley, Martyn Clark, John Harvey, Wilfried Janssen, Duncan McRobbie, John Pickering and Martin Smith. Sandra Ashcroft, Dianne Baker, Xin Cheng, Sandra Dennis, Wendy Gooding, Angela Sharman, Janine Speechley and Helen Taylor.

Well done to all of our Masters players who represented Cambridgeshire this season!

Senior County Championships Weekend 3 2025/26 Round-Up

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd March 2026 saw all four senior county teams in action for the final fixtures of the season. The 1st Team travelled to York to take on Northumberland 1, Yorkshire 2 and Isle of Man, the 2nd Team took on Northamptonshire 1, Yorkshire 5 and home team Leicestershire 3 in Leicester, the 3rd Team played Norfolk 1, Buckinghamshire 2 and Suffolk 2 in Oundle, and the 4th Team took on Northamptonshire 2, Oxfordshire 2 and Gloucestershire 4 in Watford.

1st Team
Cambs 1 captained by Charlie Wakefield & Campbell Wilson entered the weekend bottom of the league, with tough matches on Saturday against Northumberland 1 (4-7 loss), and Yorkshire 2 (3-8 loss). On Sunday, they played Isle of Man, who were in 7th place. The team put on a strong showing and won 8-3, finishing the season in 7th place in Division 1 North after promotion last season.

Cambs 1st Team March 2026: Charlie Wakefield, Lucas Martell, Campbell Wilson, Finlay Smith and Neil Place. Joanna Li, Helen Yan, Sara Cunnington, Zoe Foote and Amber Ngo.

2nd Team
Cambs 2 captained by Adele Gray and Polly Thisdell started their weekend off strongly with a dominant 10-1 win against Northamptonshire 1, followed up by a close 6-5 loss against Yorkshire 5. They finished the weekend playing Leciestershire 3 on their home soil, ending in a 7-4 loss for Cambs 2. The team finished their season in Division 2 Central placing 3rd out of 8 teams.

Cambs 2nd Team March 2026: Oscar Keys, Martin Crossley, Chris Tustian, ManobhiRam Vaddi. Polly Thisdell, Samvida Venkatesh, Adele Gray and Sara Moore.

3rd Team
Cambs 3 captained by Ben Gardner & Simon Parker had two tough 10-1 losses on Saturday against Norfolk 1 and Buckinghamshire 2 who finished first and second in the league, but played well on Sunday and finished with a 7-4 win against Suffolk 2. Cambs 3 finished 3rd out of 8 in Division 3 South East, a huge achievement considering they were promoted into this league only two seasons ago.

Cambs 3rd Team Jan 2026: Shinong Zeng, Simon Parker, Ben Gardner, Matt Cotton, Yuexi Lyu, Huen Hillary Au Yeung, Becky Donaldson, Hannah Robertshaw, Annie Zhu.

4th Team
Cambs 4 captained by Maheen Sattar, in Division 4 Central had an excellent finish to the season. On Saturday they played Northamptonshire 2, with a 9-2 win, followed by a tough 10-1 loss against Oxfordshire 2. On Sunday, Cambs 4 finished the season off with a 9-2 win against Gloucestershire 4. They end the season in 4th out of 8 teams.

Cambs 4th Team March 2026: Ollie Norris, Gaz Oates, Steven Nuzzo, Matt Barker. Pernelle Klein, Beth Elmore, Maheen Sattar and Olivia Wilkins.

A huge well done to all teams and players!

Masters County Challenge 2026

In January, the Masters County Challenge took place, with four Cambridgeshire Teams taking part.

In the Over 40s Premier, held in Worcester, we had our Over 40s first team, whilst our Over 40s second team travelled to Eastleigh to play in Division 2B. In Wolverhampton, in the Over 50s Division 1A, our Over 50s first team took part, and also in Wolverhampton, our Over 60s team played in Division 1A.

The Over 40s first team were victorious in their division, winning 6 out of 6 matches, with a maximum of 12 points scored, meaning they retained the title for the third year in a row!

Cambs Over 40s 1st team: Sara Moore, Sara Cunnington, Natalie Taylor, Alison Meijers, Simon Woodhouse, Martin Crossley, Neil Place, Ben Gardner.

The Over 40s second team, made up of Graham Barr, Daniel Bates, Tom Legerton, Chris Meager, Alex Sydney, Jennifer Hewitt, Stacy Knoop, Alison Mclellan, Swati Sinha, played well and placed 3rd in their division.

The Over 50s, represented by Kevin Barron, John Foo, Paul Hubbard, Paul Martell, Nick Pratt, Sharon Chandler, Olga Chernysheva, Sandra Dennis, Amanda Godfrey, Perveez Mody, also played well and placed 2nd in their division

The Over 60s placed 4th in their division in Wolverhampton, and were represented by Martyn Clark, John Harvey, John Pickering, Martin Smith, Dianne Baker, Angela Sharman, Janine Speechley and Helen Taylor.

Cambs O60s: Helen Taylor, Dianne Baker, Janine Speechley, Angela Sharman, Martyn Clark, John Pickering, John Harvey, Martin Smith.

Well done to all players representing Cambridgeshire!

Senior County Championships Weekend 2 2025/26 Round-Up

Saturday 17th Januaray 2026 saw all four senior county teams in action. The 1st Team took on Gloucestershire 1 and Lancashire 2 in Sheffield, the 2nd Team took on Warwickshire 3 and Staffordshire 1 in Leicester, the 3rd Team took on Sussex 3 and Essex 4 in Redbridge, and the 4th Team took on Gwent and Norfolk 3 in Peterborough.

1st Team
Cambs 1 captained by Charlie Wakefield & Campbell Wilson played in Division 1 North after promotion last season and had two tough matches against strong Gloucestershire and Lancashire sides. The final scores were a 7-4 loss to Gloucestershire, who were in the Championship division last season, and a 8-3 loss to Lancashire 2, and the team currently sit 8th out of 8 after the second round of fixtures. Some hard work to do for the 1s on the final weekend!

Cambs 1st Team Jan 2026 (Pictured in the car park as we got kicked out of the hall!): Campbell Wilson, Charlie Wakefield, Finlay Smith, Andrew Kidger, Chris Tustian, Sophia Schubert, Zoe Foote, Amber Ngo, Helen Yan.

2nd Team
Cambs 2 captained by Adele Gray and Polly Thisdell remained in Division 2 Central after a strong performance last season and continued their strong start to the season, with a narrow 7-4 win against Warwickshire 3 and a 6-5 win against Staffordshire 1. The team now sit 3rd out of 8 going into the final weekend.

Cambs 2nd Team Jan 2026: Oscar Keys, Scott Carter, Matt Harris, Luke Bennett, Martin Crossley, Sara Moore, Polly Thisdell, Adele Gray, Alison Meijers, Samvida Venkatesh.

3rd Team
Cambs 3 captained by Ben Gardner & Simon Parker showed strong consistency with two 8-3 wins against Sussex 3 and Essex 4 in Divison 3 South East. The team continue to hold 2nd out of 8th place in the division, a huge achievement considering they were promoted into this league only two seasons ago.

Cambs 3rd Team Jan 2026: Shinong Zeng, Simon Parker, Ben Gardner, Matt Cotton, Yuexi Lyu, Huen Hillary Au Yeung, Becky Donaldson, Hannah Robertshaw, Annie Zhu.

4th Team
Cambs 4 captained by Maheen Sattar, in Division 4 Central, started off with an 8-3 loss against Gwent, but followed up with a strong 8-3 win against Norfolk 3 in their afternoon match. Cambs 4 are currently sitting 4th in the table after the second weekend of fixtures.

Cambs 4th Team Jan 2026: Yifan Ding, Steven Nuzzo, Matt Barker, David Nuzzo, Renren Chen, Beth Elmore, Maheen Sattar, Olivia Wilkins, Candice Lee & not pictured - Damien Dugmore.

A huge well done to all teams and players!

Senior County Championships Weekend 1 2025/26 Round-Up

Saturday 8th November 2025 saw all four senior county teams in action. The 1st Team took on Worcestershire 1 and Warwickshire 2 in Coventry, the 2nd Team took on Bedfordshire 1 and Gloucestershire 2 also in Coventry, the 3rd Team took on Kent 3 and Norfolk 2 in Redbridge, and the 4th Team took on Bedfordshire 2 and Middlesex 5 in Coventry.

1st Team
Cambs 1 captained by Charlie Wakefield & Campbell Wilson played in Division 1 North after promotion last season and had two tough matches against strong Worcestershire and Warwickshire sides. The final scores were a 9-2 loss to Worcestershire and a 7-4 loss to Warwickshire, and the team currently sit 6th out of 8 after the first round of fixtures. The team were pleased to welcome Isum and Sophia who represented the county 1st team for the first time, as well as Andrew Kidger who returned to county competition after several years out.

Cambs 1st Team Nov 2025: Oscar Keys, Charlie Wakefield, Andrew Kidger, Chris Lim, Isum Arachchige, Sara Cunnington, Sophia Schubert, Amber Ngo, Helen Yan.

2nd Team
Cambs 2 captained by Adele Gray and Polly Thisdell remained in Division 2 Central after a strong performance last season and kicked off this season in style picking up 12 rubbers after a narrow 6-5 loss to Bedfordshire 1 and a 7-4 win against Gloucestershire 2. The team now sit 5th out of 8 going into the second weekend. The team welcomed Samvida who represented Cambridgeshire for the first time.

Cambs 2nd Team Nov 2025: Adele Gray, Alison Meijers, Polly Thisdell, Samvida Venkatesh, Sara Moore, Ben Gardner, Martin Crossley, Scott Carter, Simon Parker.

3rd Team
Cambs 3 captained by Ben Gardner & Simon Parker showed real strength in Divison 3 South East after a 6-5 win against Kent 3 and a triumphant 10-1 win over Norfolk 2. The team sit 2nd out of 8, a huge achievement considering they were promoted into this league only two seasons ago. There were lots of new faces in the team this season, highlighting the strength and depth available within the county currently. This included Annie, Hillary, Ruby, Yuexi, Matthew, and Shinong who all represented Cambridgeshire for the first time in the SCC.

Cambs 3rd Team Nov 2025: Shinong Zeng, Simon Parker, Neil Place, Matthew Cotton, Luke Bennett, Yuexi Lyu, Annie Zhu, Becky Donaldson, Ruby Spencer, Hillary Au Yeung.

4th Team
Cambs 4 captained by Maheen Sattar had to overcome some organisational hurdles thrown into the mix, and the county gives particular thanks to Maheen for how she managed these on the day. Taking part in Division 4 Central, Cambs 4 fought their way to a 7-4 win over Bedfordshire 2. In the afternoon match, they were 4-3 down to Middlesex when the match had to be abandoned and will be concluded in January. The team welcomed Harry, Sudhahar, Beth, and Renren who all represented Cambridgeshire for the first time in the SCC.

Cambs 4th Team Nov 2025: Maheen Sattar, Rob Fordham, Matthew Barker, Beth Elmore, Renren Chen, Ollie Norris, Olivia Wilkins, Hannah Catton, Harry Lee, Sudhahar Pranavan.

A huge well done to all teams and players!

Cambridgeshire Senior Restricted Tournament 2025

After over 100 matches, the Cambridgeshire Senior Restricted tournament for 2025 concluded on Sunday 28th September. Over 75 players took part across the five events, an equal record number of entries for the county, with the tournament having the joint fourth highest number of entries for all county restricted tournaments nationally.

It was fantastic to see the quality and depth of players available this year, particularly the amount of junior players being competitive with some of our top county players.

The full results can be found here.

The winners and runners-up for each event are as follows:
Open Singles - Scott Carter (winner), Finlay Smith (runner-up)
Women’s Singles - Helen Yan (winner), Sophia Schubert (runner-up)
Mixed Doubles - Charlie Wakefield & Sara Cunnington (winners), Chris Lim & Alison Meijers (runners-up)
Open Doubles - Charlie Wakefield & Campbell Wilson, Harry Chan & Lenin Chandran (runners-up)
Women’s Doubles - Helen Yan & Zoe Foote (winners), Nat Taylor & Sara Cunnington (runners-up)

Thank you to everyone who took part. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and a huge thank you to our Tournament Organiser, Zoe Foote, as well as Louise Short for your support on the day.