April provided another action-packed month of domestic action on courts up and down the country.
Young stars were competing in the U18 Inter Counties Tournament while at senior level, the regional divisions of the County Championship reached a dramatic conclusion with the play-off stage.
Here is a round-up of our domestic winners from the last month.
Inter Counties Tournament
At the start of the month, the U18 Inter Counties Tournament made a welcome return after two years away due to the pandemic.
Some of the country’s most talented young shuttlers headed to the University of Nottingham for one of the stand-out events on the junior calendar, with Babolat returning as the official equipment and shuttlecock partner.
And the atmosphere across the courts was as loud and proud as ever, with 22 counties travelling to the Midlands, all with the aim of bringing back the prestigious title.
After three days of intense competition, it was Yorkshire who were crowned Inter Counties champions following some strong performances throughout their squad.
It was a first tournament win for the White Rose since 2012, after finishing third at the last event back in 2019.
Comprehensive victories over eventual third placed side Leinster, 9-1, and runners-up Cheshire, 7-3, ensured they topped the final group phase to win the Championship.
Officials, coaches and players who attended were delighted to be back at the event after a two-year absence, with a spokesman for team Avon commenting: “Our team had a brilliant time, from start to finish and we’re already looking forward to returning next year.
“Many thanks for all the hard work Badminton England put in to make sure the tournament went ahead this year and all the hard work prior and during the event.”
Masters County Championships
It wasn’t only the young shuttlers taking centre stage this month, with the Masters County Championships 2021-22 season concluding.
The finals matches from all seven age categories, from over-40 to over-70s, took place across the last full weekend in April, with semis on the Saturday before the grand finale on the Saturday.
Captain Ed Twigg led Staffordshire to the over-40s title, while Gloucestershire were crowned over-45s champions after a 10-2 win in the final over Surrey.
In the over-50s, the crown was claimed by Hampshire, while Essex took the glory in the over-55s after an 8-4 win against Yorkshire in the final.
Surrey won the over-60s title after a 9-3 victory over Hampshire, while the over-65s championship was claimed by Lancashire after both Graham Holt and William Hamblett maintained perfect records by winning all six rubbers.
The final category, the over-70s, saw Leicestershire win the tournament following an exciting 5-4 victory over Kent in the final. David Watts and Carole Spencer led the charge, both winning five out of their six matches on finals weekend.
Senior County Championship play-offs
Promotion to the SCC Premiership was on the line for several clubs towards the end of the month with the play-offs at the National Badminton Centre.
Four counties, Kent, Northumberland, Dorset and Lanarkshire, headed to Milton Keynes knowing they were just three matches away from securing top flight badminton for next season.
Kent led the way after Saturday’s action, with both a 9-2 victory over Northumberland and a 7-4 win over Lanarkshire all but assuring them of the top two finish needed.
But the defeated Northumberland and Lanarkshire sides were still in contention after both also secured wins over Dorset. That set the pair up for a promotion showdown between the two on Sunday.
In the end it was Northumberland who secured promotion to the SCC Premiership after a 7-4 win over Lanarkshire.
The match was level after eight rubbers but Northumberland won the final three doubles matches to secure victory, with Rachel Frobisher and Edward Burgess’s mixed doubles win finishing the contest.
In the final tie of the weekend, Kent celebrated their promotion but ensuring they finished top of the group, after a 7-4 win over Dorset.
Kent shuttler Max Flynn was the best performing individual of the weekend, winning all nine of his rubbers, remarkably only dropping one game along the way.
Philip Pahatouridis was also in good form, winning six of his eight matches for Northumberland to help them finish second.
Kent and Northumberland will replace Sussex and Leinster in the SCC Premiership next term after both were relegated this season.