THE county’s top badminton players narrowly lost to Yorkshire in a close encounter.

Northumberland U18 hosted Yorkshire U18 II last weekend, losing 9-11.

Tynedale players dominated throughout with Hexham’s Charlotte Graham top scoring with three points out of a possible four.

Top seeded in singles, mixed and doubles, Charlotte opened her account with a 2-1 win with regular mixed doubles partner Tim Bodani, of Ponteland Badminton Club.

Ponteland High School pupil James Dodd opened his singles account with an assured 2-0 win. He later retained his earlier game-winning form when partnered with Tim to defeat his opponents 2-1 in a nip and tuck contest.

Matthew Grant, from Ponteland, also posted a positive 2-1 victory partnered with Finlay Smith.

In the women’s doubles, Charlotte, and her regular partner Amy Ward, posted back-to-back 2-0 wins.

Eve Beechinor-Collins, also from Ponteland, performed positively through the contest, narrowly losing out in the women’s doubles.