Lower ready to raise
her game at Sheffield
Staffordshire's Helen Lower will be among the favourites for success in the English Senior National Table Tennis Championships in Sheffield next month.
The 29-year-old England international from Wolverhampton is seeded No 2 for the competition at Ponds Forge National Sports Centre from May 13-14.
Lower, who is leading England's women in the current European Championships in Bremen, Germany, is expected to face No 3 seed Linda Radford (Essex) in a semi-final clash mixing Lower's heavy top-spin style against the sharp counter-hitting of Brentwood-based Radford.
Defending champion Nicola Deaton, who declined England selection for the European Championships, is the top seed, and the 23-year-old from Derbyshire is lined up to meet No 4 seed and former All-African champion Kubrat Owolabi (Middlesex) in the semi-finals.
Commonwealth champion Matthew Syed tops the men's seeds with defending champion Alex Perry at No 2. Syed, from Richmond, Surrey, is likely to face one of England's most promising youngsters in the semi-finals, either 17-year-old Andrew Baggaley (Bucks) or 19-year-old Gareth Herbert (Berkshire).
Three times national champion Alan Cooke, who has returned to competitive play after two years national coaching, is the dark horse of the event, with the 34-year-old from Chesterfield seed No 5.
All-ticket fixtures
Title-chasing Kidderminster Harriers have declared their final home match of the Nationwide Conference season against Forest Green Rovers on Monday May 1 as an all-ticket affair.
Championship rivals Rushden & Diamonds have also designated their last day of the season match with Doncaster Rovers as Nene Park on May 6 all-ticket.
Warwickshire suffer
A single defeat meant Warwickshire Over-40s veterans side had to settle for runners-up spot in the Inter-County Championship badminton finals at Telford Racquets Centre.
The Birmingham League representatives of Broadway, Arden and Solihull & Shirley won four of their five group matches but Surrey edged them out 5-3 in a match which effectively decided the title.
Warwickshire defeated both Derbyshire and Devon on points after 4-4 draws while Essex and Durham were brushed aside 6-2 and 5-3 respectively.
The county's men's contingent were George Mitchell, Steve Yiend, Rupert Sterling and Syd Phull, while the women consisted of Carol Hunt, Carol Moran, Judith Herriott, Merlene Sterling and Kim Mort.
FINAL POSITIONS: 1 Surrey; 2 Warwickshire; 3 Devon; 4 Durham; 5 Essex; 6 Derbyshire.
Kingshurst's gloss finish
Kingshurst Bribar face a waiting game to learn if they will keep hold of their top three spot in the British League.
The Birmingham table tennis side wrapped up their Division One North season with a 10-0 demolition of bottom of the table Uxbridge (Burton).
But Kingshurst must now wait to see whether Grantham IS, who lie one point behind in fourth spot, can upset promotion chasers Norwich Todd Foxwood in the final round of matches on April 30 to snatch third place.
Kingshurst are already guaranteed their highest ever finish in a decade in the British League, even if they have to settle for fourth spot.
Ian Ferguson took the man of the match award for Bribar in their comprehensive win over Uxbridge. Mark Read, Micky Browne and Tony Isaac completed the unbeaten performance.
Uxbridge's side comprised Roy Norton, Glen Warwick, Stuart McIntyre and Robin Piearce.
Curdworth A will be seeking a league and cup double in the Birmingham Three-a-Side League.
Premier Division champions Curdworth face runners-up Kingshurst A in the final of Maurice Goldstein Cup on Wednesday.
Smith's a real golf gem
Michael Smith and his Leamington & County PGA professional Iain Grant have reached the regional final of Europe's biggest golf pro-am competition.
Smith, a 52-year-old self-employed jeweller from Warwick, won the Whitnash club's qualifying round of the Lombard Trophy with a net 68 off his 15 handicap to reach the next stage at Coventry GC on May 15.
The winner of that better-ball medal will join other regional winners for an all-expenses paid trip to compete at San Lorenzo, Portugal, from September 29 to October 3.
Mallory Park magic
Leicestershire's Mallory Park circuit hosts a double-header of motorcycle and car racing this weekend.
Tomorrow's EMRA-organised bike meeting has a bumper entry providing 28 races for solo and sidecar motorbikes, highlighted by the Drayton Croft Mallory Trophy and Sunquest Roadstocks events.
Monday sees Mallory's first Eurocar event of the season, on the Mallory Mile, with Eurocar V8 races providing spectacular saloon racing. Racing starts at 11.15am tomorrow and 1.30pm on Monday.
Volleyball champions
Warwick-based Riga claimed their first national title after victory in the Eva Shield Final at the National Volleyball Cup finals in Sheffield.
Riga, led by the game's most valuable player John Gilling, edged out Liverpool in a thrilling 3-2 success, squeezing home 20-25, 25-18, 25-20, 18-25, 15-13.
Wonder of Whitehead
Mark Whitehead bagged a stunning goal to ensure Nuneaton Griff retained the Coventry Charity Cup after a 1-0 win over Folly Lane.
Top scorer Whitehead hit his 46th goal of the season with the 74th-minute winner for the Rapide Midland Combination title-chasers in the final at Highfield Road. Folly Lane had been reduced to ten men just after the hour when Nicky Baker was sent off.
