St Oswald's Primary School, Fulford, have become the first-ever Yorkshire mini-tennis champions.

Playing against schools from all over the county in the finals at South Leeds Indoor Tennis Centre, they defeated Bricknall School from Hull in a thrilling final.

The team of four won three of the four singles but then the Hull school fought back in the doubles to level the score at 3-3. However, Fulford won the tie on games count-back by 17-15.

St Oswald's, coached by Belinda Turnbull, reached the Yorkshire finals - the first full county finals to be held for mini-tennis - after winning the North Yorkshire Area finals held at Poppleton Tennis Club last month.

Mini-tennis, which was on display at the All England Club during Wimbledon fortnight, is a variation of tennis designed for youngsters. For the youngest primary school children, mini-tennis "Red" is played on a badminton-sized court with sponge balls and shortened racquets.

St Oswald's win was at mini-tennis "Green", which is the level for top primary school pupils and is played on a full-sized court but with low compression balls.

County Schools' Tennis Coordinator John Forster, who organised the finals, said: "Fulford's victory was well-deserved after convincing wins over Ghyll Royd School, Burley, and Blackburn School, Rotherham, in the earlier rounds.

"The final against Bricknall displayed some stunning tennis by both teams."

FOOTBALL

YOUNGSTERS from York's St George's RC Primary School have benefited from a free bag of football goodies - to help them "build confidence and team spirit".

Insurance company CIS has been running a "Big Blue Bag" scheme which offers each of its customers and 12,000 staff the chance to nominate a school or junior football team to receive one of the bags.

And St George's received theirs after being nominated by CIS employee Kathryn Simpson, whose daughter, Megan, is on the school's girls' football team.

As part of the nomination, each entrant had 30 words to say why their school or team should receive a bag, and Kathryn's winning application, out of 800 submitted, said they wanted the equipment to "build team spirit within the school and give the team confidence and pride".

The Big Blue Bag contains two portable goals, corner flags, 50 pitch markers, a speed agility ladder, footballs and training bibs.

CRICKET

HEMPLAND blasted their way into the final of the Primary Schools Cricket Cup by hammering Copmanthorpe by 118 runs.

They amassed 189 before dismissing Copmanthorpe for just 69 to earn a place in the final against Bishopthorpe at Heworth CC tomorrow (4pm).

Updated: 10:50 Wednesday, July 10, 2002