Wigginton youngster Neil Cordell is officially the best squash player in the country in his age group.

The 12-year-old has become the British Under-13 Boys' champion - and the first player to bring a British junior crown back to York since 1934.

Indeed, he dominated the tournament so much that he did not drop a single game on his way to the title.

And to make it a double family achievement, big sister Kathryn reached the final of the British Under-17 Girls' plate competition - despite being only 15.

Having been given a bye in the first round, Neil began on the road to glory with a 20-minute demolition of Warwickshire's number one, Thomas Marley.

He then took just 12 minutes to see off Welsh number two Nicholas Roberts for the loss of just one point, before beating number eight seed Adrian Waller, from Hertfordshire, with another 3-0 win, overcoming a third-set fightback.

Neil's semi-final opponent, Hampshire's stylish Alex Woodcock, had previously knocked out the number four seed but was swept aside by a devastating display.

Then Nottinghamshire's Richard Underhill - who is rated fourth-best in his age group in England and who had shocked the number two seed in the other semi - had no answer in the final.

Neil's dad, Ian Cordell, himself a player, said: "Neil had displayed great maturity to reach the final and moved his game to a new level with punishing rallies and superb shot-making.

"The pundits were expecting a tight battle - their previous encounter had gone to five sets - but Neil took just 23 minutes to secure the title for the loss of two points."

Neil, who has been playing squash since he was seven, is coached by Malcolm Willstrop at Pontefract and Steve Hodgson and Jamie Hopwood at York/Wigginton.

Willstrop - a former York St Peter's School pupil and teacher, and the father of world under-19 number one James Willstrop - said: "Neil is quite exceptional and is now the best player in Great Britain at under-13 level, and that's a pretty significant thing to be able to say.

"I've coached him for two and a half years and on the evidence of what I've seen he has proved himself in the top national class and probably top international class of player.

"He works hard, is a fine athlete and is enormously gifted, and he deserves recognition."

Kathryn Cordell, meanwhile, gave up two years to her Under-17 rivals but still made the plate final, where she lost to Hampshire Susannah King 9-1 9-0 10-9.

Updated: 08:40 Tuesday, October 30, 2001