Bradford Grammar School are celebrating an outstanding season at table tennis.

Pride of place goes to the under-13s A team, who are the English Schools League champions after winning the Bradford Schools League and Cup and the West Yorkshire and Northern championships.

The under-13s B team also did well, being second in the Bradford Middle Schools League and Cup.

The under-16s were West Yorkshire School champions and the under-19s A team won the Bradford Schools League and Cup.

Stephen Denny, who played in the under-13s team, won four consecutive under-12 open tournaments and, at the Blackpool Junior Open Championship finals, he beat England No 6 James Fletcher from Lancashire in two straight games.

However, his run of title wins came to an unfortunate end at the Selby Junior Open Championships.

Stephen was the victim of his own success. He reached four finals - under-12s, under-14s and under-17s singles and under-17s doubles.

By then he had been playing for seven hours, and 24 matches later he did not lose the three single finals for lack of skills - just lack of stamina and sheer exhaustion.

The tournament was held up for Stephen as he played from one final to the next. He lost all his singles finals, but, with a little help from his doubles partner Shaun Marples from Derby, he won the boys doubles.

This is the first time anyone from the Bradford Junior Development Scheme has reached four finals in an open tournament. Stephen's excellent form has lifted him from 13 to eight in the England under-12s rankings.

Nichola White, 12, from Bradford Girls' Grammar School, No 6 in England, played excellent table tennis at Blackpool to reach the finals of under-12 girls, only to lose to England No 1 one girl Karen Shepherd from Cheshire in two straight games.

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