County shock as Hancox gets better of England No 15

Ciara Hancox claimed a 3-0 win over Patricia Ianau in Warwickshire's 8-2 defeat to Middlesex.

Jack Green, Robbie Fitchford and Ciara Hancox were joined by Sam Cafearo of Rugby and Sophie Rinnhofer of Colebridge, with Middlesex 1 providing tough opposition for their opening encounter.

There were terrific wins for Hancox who eclipsed England number 15 Patricia Ianau 3-0 and Green (99), who beat Kai Ghazi-Timms (37) 11-9 in the fifth, but these were to prove Warwickshire’s only successes in an 8-2 defeat.

Middlesex 2 were scarcely weaker than their first string, with Warwickshire only claiming three wins.

Fitchford (150) notched his first county win against Ryan Bennett (55), Cafearo beat Branislav Zivkovic (52) in four and Hancox defeated Talia Banin-Reid.

However, wins from Hancox, Fitchford and Cafearo put their side 3-1 up against Suffolk and they went on to open their account with a hard-fought success.

Rinnhofer got her first county scalp against Anna Ridsill-Smith and Cafearo beat Kian Burgess (21) to put his side 5-4 up.

In the decider, Hancox faced Riya Kumar and, despite losing the first 11-9, took the next three games to nine, four and four.

The final opposition were Cambridgeshire who conceded two by virtue of only having one girl.

Cafearo beat Matthew Pryke and Fitchford overcame Kamran Bastani for a 4-0 lead, with further wins from Hancox, Green, Cafearo and Fitchford seeing them to an 8-2 victory.

Meanwhile, in the Leaminton & District League, Colebridge A’s Division One title ambitions were dealt a blow when St George’s B held them to a draw.

Ben Willson nailed a fine hat-trick for the Brummies and Edward Lynn won twice but St George’s bounced back with a double from Mark Jackson, singles from Laurence Sweeney and Ron Vose and a Jackson/Vose doubles success.

Colebridge then defeated Wellesbourne 7-3, with Kate Hughes and Ben Willson claiming trebles.

St George’s B went on to beat Free Church B 9-1, Jackson and Sweeney hitting trebles and Vose winning twice but losing to Sam Weaving and then WCC A 10-0, with the same players unbeaten.

Rugby A are top with a game in hand over their nearest challengers following a 10-0 whitewash of Free Church B, Ryan Lines, Matt Outhwaite and Ryan Stockham doing the damage.

Martyn Todd was the Free Church C hero, winning three and scooping the doubles with Chris Blowey, who won twice, as his side beat St George’s A 7-3 to claim their first-ever top-flight scalp.

Harry Purewal chipped in with a win, with Gary Jackson (2) and Luke Hobbins (1) replying.