Pupils make home advantage count

Romford Recorder: Action from the ISA East Region tournamentAction from the ISA East Region tournament (Image: COPYRIGHT, 2010)

Brentwood Ursuline Prep’s netball squad made home court advantage count as they booked a place in the National finals.

The school hosted the ISA East Anglia under-11 tournament for the first time last week and secured the runners-up spot on the day to qualify.

Eight schools were due to compete in the event, but one had to withdraw at the last moment and Ursuline fielded a B team made up of pupils from year four and five to enable the competition to proceed as planned.

Alleyn Court, Cambridge International, Heathcote Prep, Littlegarth, Sacred Heart and St Margaret’s Prep joined the Ursuline entries, with some exciting games being played in the two groups.

Spokesperson Jan West said: “Towards the end of the tournament the weather, which had been reasonably dry all afternoon, changed for the worst.

“Conditions became very difficult, with teams playing in torrential rain.”

Ursuline met Littlegarth in the final and, although beaten, went through along with the winners and third-placed Alleyn Court.

Ursuline Prep: Zara Hameed, Louisa Carolan, Heather Young, Maddy Stapleton, Florence Burrows, Alice Lindsay, Gracie O’Malley, Amelia Moule.