Darlington, as expected, dominated the Durham County Closed Championships at Greencroft Sports Hall, Annfield Plain, at the weekend.

All bar the Under-17 boys singles went Darlington's way in the junior events with their latest rising starlet Samantha McCormick winning a first county title in the Under-12 girls singles.

The defending champion, Newton Aycliffe's Emma Robinson, was beaten by both McCormick and teammate Sarah Robinson who claimed the runners-up spot.

Claire Wilson took the Under-14 and Under-17 girls titles, winning the Under-14's for a record fourth successive year with Darlington's Joanne Meads the beaten finalist on both occasions. The two girls teamed up to take the Under-14 girls doubles and gave the boys something to think about by reaching the mixed Under-17 doubles final.

There they lost to another Darlington pair, Andrew Leighton and Philip Robinson who had earlier lost the Under-14 doubles finals to clubmates David Meads and Mark Simpson. Leighton repeated last year's triumph in the Under-14 boys singles at the expense of Meads who defeated Simpson in the Under-12 boys singles final. The Under-17 boys singles eluded Darlington with Leighton losing out to Sunderland's Kevin Wilson.

The youngsters took on their senior counterparts in the second day of action.

Kate Vickers and Daniel Welsh made the transition from junior to senior with notable performances. Welsh was the only player to take a set against eventual men's singles winner Andrew Wilkinson and teamed up with him to reach the men's doubles final, losing to Darlington's British League pair Dave Godbold and Eddie Smith.

Wilkinson reversed the defeat with a straight sets win over Smith in the singles final.

Vickers reached her first women's singles final before losing to Shirley Gelder but newly-crowned Under-14 girls champion Claire Wilson produced the shock of the tournament, with a 22-20 third set win over 1999 champion Nicola Parks, reaching a brilliant semi-final place before losing to the eventual winner. Joanne Meads also came close to beating Gelder, only losing narrowly 21-18 in another third set thriller.

The mixed doubles went to the Darlington pairing of Eddie Smith and Kate Vickers with Tony Golder winning the veteran title.

The Darlington youngsters are off on their travels this weekend when they

compete in the Junior British League at Wolverhampton.