Marsh National Schools' Championships 2013

The 2013 Marsh Insurance National Schools' Championships took place at Shrewsbury last week and were as always a huge success.

Despite home advantage, Shrewsbury were unable to continue their run of wins in the Open, although Guy Williams and Henry Blofield did make it through to the final, where they lost in four games to James Lawson-Baker and Zicomo Smith of Harrow, providing Harrow with their first winners at this level since the Dunbar brothers in 2000. Top seeds James Pigott and Charlie Fairbanks-Smith went out in the semi-finals after an injury to Pigott forced them to withdraw when 2-1 up and 7-7 in the fourth.

Shrewsbury won the U16s and U15s, with Highgate dominating the younger age groups, winning at U14 and U12, with St.Olave's taking the U13 title. The U14 beginners was won by Harrow. Highgate also dominated the girls events with Eve Smith-Bingham and Aimee Paul retaining their U15 and Open titles. A new venture this year was a ladies festival, which was won by Shrewsbury in an all-Midlands final against Wolverhampton.