1 April, 2023
Middlesex were crowned Senior County Championships champions following a busy weekend of Premiership action at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes.
Victories over Hertfordshire, Cheshire and Hampshire in the third and final weekend of competition saw them take the title in style, with just one loss across their nine Premiership matches this season.
Their sole defeat came earlier in the season to Buckinghamshire, the defending champions forced to settle for second following six victories and three losses during their campaign.
Their chances of winning the Premiership title were ended this weekend with narrow 6-5 defeats to both Hertfordshire and Avon, though they rounded off the season with victory against Surrey.
That victory was particularly crucial for Hertfordshire, who managed to finish the season in eighth and avoid relegation to the Championship.
Cheshire and Lancashire are the two sides that were ultimately relegated, finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
Stepping up to the Premiership next season will be Leinster and Warwickshire, who finished first and second in the Championship to seal promotion.
Leinster, in particular, had an impressive campaign, winning all nine of their ties and rounding off with wins versus Nottinghamshire, Kent and Northumberland last weekend at Babington College.
Meanwhile, convincing victories over Glasgow & NS, Northumberland and Derbyshire helped Warwickshire usurp Nottinghamshire and claim second spot.
Though Nottinghamshire’s match record of eight wins and just one loss bettered Warwickshire’s seven wins and two losses, a superior number of rubbers won handed Warwickshire the second promotion spot.
Glasgow & NS and Derbyshire finished in ninth and tenth and have been demoted to Division 1 North and South.
The playoff line-ups have been set for Division 1 North and South, with the top two teams from both leagues now set to compete for a spot in the Championship.
An unbeaten Lanarkshire topped the table in Division 1 North with Gloucestershire in second, while Suffolk triumphed in Division 1 South with Hertfordshire 2 claiming the second playoff spot.
Those four teams will meet at the National Badminton Centre this May for the playoff round, with only two teams able to seal a place in the Championship next season.
