Matt Leete and Denise Payet were crowned champions at the end of a thrilling day’s competition at the School Games.

Leete, who won team gold with England Midlands yesterday, defeated North East’s Joe Clark to take the boys’ crown and Payet, beaten in last year’s final, overcame fellow South East player Kate Cheer.

Billy Shilton (SW) beat Shae Thakker (SE) in a pulsating standing disability final, while the learning disability prize went to Hamish Friell (SE), beating Wales’ Sid Mohanty.

The last match to finish was also a thriller as Cellan Hall of Wales saved nine match points on the way to victory over Dan Bullen (Midlands) in the crucial match of the round-robin wheelchair event.

When all the points from the team and individual events were totted up, South East were the overall winners.

Click here for all the School Games results, including team events

Click here to read the report of the team competitions

Boys

An England Midlands competitor retained the title, but perhaps not the expected one.

It was Matt Leete who struck gold, beating Joe Clark of the North East in a four-game final.

Clark had thrown the competition wide open in the last 16 when he ended the reign of defending champion and Leete’s team-mate Alex Ramsden.

It was a brilliant five-set victory by Clark, who saw Ramsden save a total of six match points across the fourth and fifth games.

It set Clark on a path to the final, where he levelled at 1-1 and fought back from 6-0 down to 6-6 in the third, only to see Leete pull away.

Bronze medallists were Dylan Curry of Scotland, who lost to Clark in three in the semi-finals, and Northern Ireland’s Owen Cathcart, who Leete eventually overcame 15-13 in the fourth.

Earlier, a notable early casualty was South West’s Olly Tyndall, who earned a yellow card during his four-set defeat to South East’s Ben Foster in the first round.

Two of the North East boys were pushed to five sets before earning their places in the last 16 – Josh Harland overcoming Josh Stacey of Wales in a topsy-turvy match which he led 1-0 and 2-1 and Alec Ward edging a tight one against Northern Ireland’s Zak Earley.

Clark’s win over Ramsden was not the only surprise of the last 16, where Ben Cawston got past James Smith in four games – Smith being yellow-carded on the way.

Harland also saw yellow in another five-setter, but again he came out on the right side of the scoreline, against Omar Khassal.

Ward completed a hat-trick of yellows at the event in his defeat by Calum Morrison (SCO).

The quarters saw Clark end Cawston’s interest in the competition, while Harland came unstuck against Curry. On the other half of the draw, Leete beat Morrison and Cathcart beat Josh Bennett (SE), both in four.

Results

Round of 32

• Alex Ramsden (EM) bt Conor Nugent (NIR) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
• Joe Clark (ENE) bt Cade Short (WAL) 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6)
• Ben Cawston (ESW) bt Ethan Chapman (SCO) 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-4)
• James Smith (ESE) bt Thomas Earley (NIR) 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 12-10)
• Hugo Pang (ESW) bt Harry Watson (ENW) 3-1 (11-8, 12-14, 11-8, 11-7)
• Dylan Curry (SCO) bt Timmy Cooper (EM) 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6)
• Omar Khassal (ESE) bt Amirul Hussain (ENW) w/o
• Josh Harland (ENE) bt Josh Stacey (WAL) 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5)
• Matt Leete (EM) bt Zac Cantor (ENW) 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-1)
• Ben Foster (ESE) bt Olly Tyndall (ESW) 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
• Calum Morrison (SCO) bt Marc Castro (WAL) 3-0 (13-11, 13-11, 11-6)
• Alec Ward (ENE) bt Zak Earley (NIR) 3-2 (10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7)
• Owen Cathcart (NIR) bt Benedict Watson (WAL) 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-2)
• Nathan Butler (EM) bt James Chappell (ENW) 3-0 (11-2, 11-9, 11-9)
• James Hobson (ENE) bt Keir Morton (SCO) 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-5)
• Josh Bennett (ESE) bt Carl Baldry (ESW) 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-5)

Round of 16

• Clark bt Ramsden 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-13, 12-10)
• Cawston bt Smith 3-1 (8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8)
• Curry bt Pang 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-6)
• Harland bt Khassal 3-2 (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9)
• Leete bt Foster 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-3, 11-6)
• Morrison bt Ward 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-2)
• Cathcart bt Butler 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-5)
• Bennett bt Hobson 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 16-14)

Quarter-finals

• Clark bt Cawston 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-5)
• Curry bt Harland 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7)
• Leete bt Morrison 3-1 (13-15, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5)
• Cathcart bt Bennett 3-1 (11-7, 11-13, 11-4, 11-2)

Semi-finals

• Clark bt Curry 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-3)
• Leete bt Cathcart 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 15-13)

Final

• Leete bt Clark 3-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3)

Girls

Denise Payet added singles gold to team gold when she came from behind to sink South East colleague Kate Cheer in four.

It was a sweet success for Payet, who was beaten in the final last year, and she had Cheer to thank for eliminating defending champion Rebecca Finn of Northern Ireland in the semi-finals.

That last-four clash went to five, with Cheer seeing her opponent fight back from 2-0 down to level, with the third set taking the prize for longest of the day as Finn claimed it 19-17.

Finn had won two earlier five-setters and her exertions may have taken their toll, Cheer winning the decider for the loss of only three points.

Payet’s semi-final was against a third South East player, Zahna Hall, and was more routine and dealt with in three straight.

Earlier in the day, Amy Blagbrough staved off a comeback by Anna Hursey of Wales in the first round. Hursey recovered from 2-0 down to level, but the South West girl took the decider 11-5.

Also going to five were Sophie Barlow (ENE) and Alisa Khalid (SCO), the Scottish girl winning it having twice been pegged back from a game up.

Finn’s five-game match against Rebecca Plaistow of Scotland was the highlight of the last 16 as the Scottish girl fought back from 2-0 down.

And Finn was at it again in the quarters. The only non-English player to feature at that stage, she again had to stave off a fightback from 2-0 up, this time by Jasmin Wong (NE).

In the other quarters, Hall ended the hopes of top seed Charlotte Bardsley (Midlands) in five, Cheer also needed five against Gauri Duhan (NE) and Payet saw off Mollie Patterson (Midlands) in four.

Results

Round of 32

• Charlotte Bardsley (EM) bt Lucy Craig (NIR) 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7)
• Amy Blagbrough (ESW) bt Anna Hursey (WAL) 3-2 (11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-5)
• Holly Williams (ENE) bt Alice Dillon (ENW) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)
• Zahna Hall (ESE) bt Jennie Yang (SCO) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)
• Mollie Patterson (EM) bt Hannah Burrows (ENW) 3-0 (11-3, 11-2, 11-4)
• Lara Whitton (WAL) bt Emma Kee (NIR) 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-9)
• Alisa Khalid (SCO) bt Sophie Barlow (ENE) 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5)
• Denise Payet (ESE) bt Nina Kadir (ESW) 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-2)
• Rebecca Finn (NIR) bt Beth Richards (WAL) 3-1 (11-5, 11-4, 16-18, 11-7)
• Rebecca Plaistow (SCO) bt Rachel Scott (ENW) 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5)
• Isabelle Joubeily (ESE) bt Chloe Lingard (EM) 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-3)
• Jasmin Wong (ENE) bt Katie Holt (ESW) 3-1 (12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8)
• Gauri Duhan (ENE) bt Lydia John (WAL) 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-4)
• Sophie Earley (NIR) bt Megan Dillon (ENW) 3-1 (11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2)
• Charlotte Boston (EM) bt Tessa Yau (SCO) 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7)
• Kate Cheer (ESE) bt Gemma Kerr (ESW) 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-6)

Round of 16

• Bardsley bt Blagbrough 3-0 (11-2, 11-6, 11-7)
• Hall bt Williams 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9)
• Patterson bt Whitton 3-1 (11-6, 19-17, 2-11, 11-3)
• Payet bt Khalid 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-5)
• Finn bt Plaistow 3-2 (11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 11-13, 11-3)
• Wong bt Joubeily 3-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-8)
• Duhan bt Earley 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-9)
• Cheer bt Boston 3-0 (13-11, 11-7, 11-8)

Quarter-finals

• Hall bt Bardsley 3-2 (14-12, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-7)
• Payet bt Patterson 3-1 (12-10, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5)
• Finn bt Wong 3-2 (11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-3)
• Cheer bt Duhan 3-2 (13-11, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6)

Semi-finals

• Payet bt Hall 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-5)
• Cheer bt Finn 3-2 (11-8, 11-8, 17-19, 9-11, 11-3)

Final

• Payet bt Cheer 3-1 (5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2)

Disability

Standing

Next stop for Billy Shilton is Rio, and he leaves for the Paralympics as School Games champion after successfully defending his title.

But the South West athlete was made to fight every inch of the way in a final which had the crowd enthralled as his opponent Shae Thakker (South East) battled back from two sets down.

A lengthy final featured three deuce games, with Shilton taking the first 16-14 and Thakker the third and fourth. But Shilton had the class when it mattered and took the decider 11-5.

Bronze medals went to Tam Eastwood of Wales and Alex Bland of North East.

Results

Quarter-finals

• Billy Shilton (ESW) – bye
• Tam Eastwood (WAL) bt Declan Tobin (SCO) 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-5)
• Shae Thakker (ESE) bt Joe Davies (ENW) 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-5)
• Alex Bland (ENE) bt Thomas Spicer (EM) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7)

Semi-finals

• Shilton bt Eastwood 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)
• Thakker bt Bland 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-7)

Final

• Shilton bt Thakker 3-2 (16-14, 11-9, 11-13, 10-12, 11-5)

Learning

There were new medallists all round, with gold going to Hamish Friell, adding to the team gold he won alongside Shae Thakker for South East.

Friell was the stand-out performer, winning his two group matches and then a semi-final against Ben Robinson (NE) and the final against Wales’ Sid Mohanty.

The key win for Mohanty had come in the groups, when he saw off Robinson in five, twice coming from a set down and winning the decider 12-10.

Alongside Robinson, bronze went to David Morrison of Scotland.

Results

Group F

• Hamish Friell (ESE) bt Alfie Armstrong (ESW) 3-1 (11-9, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6)
• David Morrison (SCO) bt Armstrong 3-2 (11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 11-5)
• Friell bt Morrison 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9)

Group G

• Ben Robinson (ENE) bt Reece Barker (ENW) 3-0 (11-0, 11-1, 11-1)
• Sid Mohanty (WAL) bt Barker 3-0 (11-0, 11-2, 11-1)
• Mohanty bt Robinson 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10)

Semi-finals

• Mohanty bt Morrison 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-8)
• Friell bt Robinson 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 14-12)

Final

• Friell bt Mohanty 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9)

Wheelchair

Cellan Hall saved no fewer than nine match points across two sets to finally get his hands on gold after appearing at seven School Games.

The player on the other side of the net, Dan Bullen of Midlands, try as he might, could just not get over the line, and the Welshman was delighted to take his own second match point.

The round-robin event had built to an exciting climax and was the last match to finish on the day, and 16-14, 15-13 scorelines in the final two games tipped the balance to Hall.

Bronze went to Andrew Green of North East.

Results

• Cellan Hall (WAL) bt Andrew Berry (SCO) 3-0 (11-1, 12-10, 11-5)
• Daniel Bullen (EM) bt Andrew Green (ENE) 3-0 (11-1, 11-2, 11-4)
• Bullen bt Berry 3-0 (11-3, 11-2, 11-2)
• Hall bt Green 3-0 (15-13, 11-4, 11-6)
• Green bt Berry 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-5)
• Hall bt Bullen 3-2 (8-11, 11-9, 2-11, 16-14, 15-13)