PLECKGATE ‘A’ proved to be the perfect hosts as they were crowned Blackburn and Darwen emerging schools table tennis champions.

Pleckgate staged and won the competition to book a place in the Lancashire School Games finals in Garstang in May.

A total of nine teams from five different high schools competed for the title for right to represent the borough in the county finals.

Teams were split in to three mini leagues with the winners of each going into the top group to play off for the top three positions. The runners-up played for positions four-six and the teams that finished third played for seventh to ninth.

Group A was made up of QEGS, Pleckgate ‘B’ and Darwen Vale ‘A’ and it was Vale that went through as winners with Pleckgate ‘B’ in second and QEGS finishing in third.

In group B, Pleckgate ‘A’ topped the table after beating DACA ‘B’ and Tauheedal Boys ‘B’.

Darwen Vale ‘B’ topped group C narrowly beating DACA ‘A’ who were second, and Tauheedal Boys ‘A’ who were third.

So it was the two Darwen Vale teams along with Pleckgate ‘A’ that would battle it out for the title.

And following three really close matches, it was Pleckgate ‘A’ that came out on top winning both of their matches to take the title. Darwen Vale ‘A’ and Darwen Vale ‘B’ finished second and third respectively.

Mr Brierly, table tennis co-ordinator at Pleckgate said: “The boys did brilliantly to win this event and it was great to see their hours of practice pay off, we look forward to the next round in May.”

The SPAR Lancashire School Games are sponsored by Lancashire business, James Hall & Co - SPAR UK’s wholesaler and distributor for the North of England - who are based in Preston.

This will be the thirteenth year that James Hall & Co have sponsored the SPAR Lancashire School Games and the company is delighted to be continuing the partnership.

Peter Dodding, sales and marketing director at James Hall & Co said: “We are thrilled to be able to continue our support for the SPAR Lancashire School Games and to help to promote healthy, active lifestyles throughout the county alongside our partners Active Lancashire and the Lancashire school games organisers. Last year the games reached over 94,000 Lancashire school children – an amazing achievement and one we can’t wait to repeat in 2019.”

* Final Positions

1st: Pleckgate ‘A’, 2nd: Darwen Vale ‘A’, 3rd: Darwen Vale ‘B’, 4th: DACA B, 5th: Pleckgate ‘B’, 6th: DACA ‘A’, 7th: Tauheedal ‘A’, 8th: Tauheedal ‘B’, 9th: Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School.