Hertfordshire completed an emotional return to the top step of the U18 Inter County Tournament podium after a 28-year wait.
Having not won the event for nearly three decades, it was a memorable Easter weekend for all involved as they sealed the deal with a 7-3 win over Yorkshire in their final match.
After featuring in the last Hertfordshire team to win the ICT back in 1997, team manager Kelly Risley struggled to contain her delight at watching her side reclaim the trophy.
She said: “We’re over the moon, really chuffed with the final result and it’s been a great four days for us.
“We’ve won pretty convincingly in the first few days and we only dropped two games leading into the final.
“We were confident going into it but we knew it was going to be tough.
“Everyone has performed really well and we’ve had a great four days so we’re really pleased.
“The players have made us so proud because they really have put out a big effort over the four days.
“For a lot of them, it’s their last ICT and we knew we had a good team and they’re delighted with how they’ve played.”
Leicestershire took home the bronze medal as they rounded out their campaign with a 6-4 win over Buckinghamshire as 29 counties went head-to-head in a battle for the title in Nottingham.
In the final, Jaxon Clarke and Anna Stewart got things off to a flying start for Hertfordshire with an emphatic mixed doubles victory before Yorkshire tied the scores with a mixed doubles win of their own.
It was also one apiece in the open singles, before Aahna Bhatia and Aditi Dhelaria punched their side ahead, coming out on top in three games to win both women’s singles match-ups.
With the youngsters also winning their respective doubles games and Clarke teaming up with Jeff Ani Joseph for an open doubles triumph, it meant that Hertfordshire clinched a brilliant gold as Yorkshire upgraded last year’s bronze for silver.
A tense battle for bronze ensured that every point mattered between Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire.
The East Midlands team squeezed onto the podium, winning just 18 more points than their opposition in a thrilling battle that showcased everything that the Inter County Tournament is about.
Warwickshire finished fifth, with defending champions Leinster in sixth, Middlesex in seventh and Surrey rounding out the top eight.
