ENGLISH BOYS' COUNTY FINALS PREVIEW

Counties set for a repeat performance in English Boys County Finals There will a touch of déjà vu about the English Boys County Finals when they are played at Kedleston Park in Derbyshire on 27th – 29th August as all four regional winners are the same as last year. Devon, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands, Staffordshire and Yorkshire, will do battle as they did at Cotswold Hills a year ago when Yorkshire came out on top. That was their sixth success in the championship while they shared it with Essex in 2004. The other three counties will be hoping to win the title for the first time. But both Hampshire and Staffordshire will be missing some key players. Devon, the South West qualifiers, will be making their third successive appearance in the finals and will want to improve on last place in 2012. Their squad includes one of that line-up in Jacob Tinsley, who dropped just half a point from his six games. Tinsley has also been selected to play for England in their annual schools international against Scotland at West Kilbride next month as has Harry Konig, another of the Devon team. The south west champions also include brothers Robbie and James Thompson along with Tom Trowbridge, sixth in the Douglas Johns Trophy. Devon won the south west qualifiers by two strokes at Weston-super-Mare. The Hampshire squad is missing the services of Harry Ellis, the 2012 English champion, and fellow boy international Jack Singh Brar. But it includes three youngsters from the Isle of Wight including Ryan Harmer, who played all four rounds of the English under 18 Championship for the Carris Trophy. Tommy Donaldson is the only member of last year’s line-up, while the team also includes Josh Oddy, the county’s under 16 champion, and Billy Watson, son of former European Tour professional Scott Watson. Another I o W member, Jordan Sundborg, played in four rounds of the McGregor and Carris Trophies. Hampshire, IoW & CI won the South East qualifier by three strokes at Studley Wood. Staffordshire, the Midlands winners, will miss their boy champion Richard Mansell, who has left for college in the United States. But they have England boy cap Robert Burlison, who shared first place in the Brabazon Trophy Northern Qualifier and has enjoyed several top ten finishes this year. Also in their squad is Daniel Sutton, sixth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters in June, who also played last year along with Cameron Long, an under 16 international, and Harrison Quirk. Sutton was also capped by England Schools for their international with Wales this week at Lytham Green Drive, helping the team to a 10-8 victory and beating the Welsh captain in the singles. He also won the Faldo Series event at Hollinwell. Staffordshire won the Midland qualifier by 16 strokes at Whittlebury Park. Defending champions Yorkshire (Image copyright Tom Ward) include two boys from last year’s victorious team, Ben Brewster, their boys captain, and Jonathon Thomson, winner of the North of England boys under 16 Championship last year and third in the 2013 Fairhaven Trophy. Kealan Lowe, like Thomson, is on England squad training, while the team also includes Ben Hutchinson, the Leeds boys’ captain and cousin of Denny Denison, a former Yorkshire county player and now a European Tour professional. In the Northern Group boys qualifying, Yorkshire tied with Cheshire but went through on countback on the better respective sixth players’ score. In the draw for the first round of matches on Tuesday the 27th, Devon will play Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands while Yorkshire meet Staffordshire. Teams Devon Ollie Cowl (Exeter) Danny Guy (Churston) Harry Konig (Tiverton) James Thompson (Torquay) Robbie Thompson (Torquay) Jacob Tinsley (East Devon) Tom Trowbridge (Tiverton) Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Mason Banger (Meon Valley) Tommy Donaldson (North Hants) Tom Farrow-Smith (North Hants) Ryan Harmer (Brokenhurst Manor) Josh Oddy (Shanklin & Sandown) Jordan Sundborg (Shanklin & Sandown) Billy Watson (North Hants) Staffordshire Peter Booker (Ingestre Park) Robert Burlison (Oxley Park) Michael Dewsbury (Brocton Hall) Cameron Long (Drayton Park) Gianmarco Petrozzi (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Harrison Quirk (Tamworth) Daniel Sutton (Walsall) Yorkshire Ben Brewster (Bawtry) Bradley Hudson (Cookridge Hall) Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall) Jack Kelley (Otley) Kealan Lowe (Wheatley) Jonathan Thomson (Lindrick) Sam Wilkinson (Fulford)