The Marsh Insurance N/national Schools' Championships start this Sunday at Eton but the two traditional pereliminary events have already taken place.
Highgate have dominated the Under 12s in recent years and this was no exception as the top two Highgate pairs made it through to the final at the expense of Summer Fields 1 and Sunningdale 1.
The Under 13s mirrors the Under 15 competition in that the top pairs from the previous year's Under 12 competition are not allowed to enter, instead playing in the open Under 14 competition. Highgate's remarkable strength in depth at this age group still made them favourites and their top pair duly made it through to the final with a comfortable win over Berkhamsted 1 in the semis. Highgate 3 had beaten Highgate 2 in a close quarter-final and found hemselves up against an impressive St.Olave's pair in the other semi-final. HIghgate won the first easily; St.Olave's could have won the second but lost it 14-13, did win the third and fourth and then had chances to win the fifth before finally going down 13-12 in a real thriller to set up another all-Highgate final.