Day Two of the Essex County Closed 2025 started in much the same vein as the previous day, with intense matches from the off. We had reached the semi-final stage of the A&B Open competitions, with every player involved having one eye on the final.
The first A-grade semi-final saw Michael Tallentine pitted against Dylan Smithson, after Tallentire had overcome Joel Braddock in the previous round. A close first game saw Tallentire take it 14-12 and from there it was easier as he took the next two 11-9, 11-4. An injury withdrawal by Elliot Selby saw Gareth Naidoo handed a bye straight through to the final.
The first B-grade semi-final saw home favourite Lara Newton against an experienced Chris Purkiss. Newton took a close opening game 11-9, and it was all square at 8-8 in the second game when an unfortunate incident between the two saw Newton forced to retire. The match took place on Court D, the same court that had seen Newton’s quarter-final opponent also retire with injury. The other semi-final saw late replacement Richard Horswill face Paul Hodge. The match went the distance with Hodge fighting back from being 2-0 down to take it to a fifth. Horswill eventually got over the line with a 11-9 fifth game victory to setup a final with Chris Purkiss.
With the semi-finals decided, attention turned to the afternoon finals.
In the C-grade final, Lexden’s Mike Booth came up against Kingswood’s Rob Keogh. Mike Booth stormed into an early 2-0 lead, with a combination of sharp boasts and tight drops causing Keogh issues. Keogh, who had reached this final on two occasions before, fought back with grit and determination to level the match at 2-2. Having put everything into these games, Keogh was unable to stay with Booth who eventually ran out the fifth game 11-3 to win the match.
The B-grade final was another five-game epic, with Chris Purkiss relying on unbelievable stamina to fight back twice to level the match at 2-2. Purkiss who had just played in the Over 50’s final minutes before, showed his steely side as he held off Horswill to win the final game 11-8. Well played, Chris.
Next up was the Ladies final which saw a stiched-up Lara Newton face Hannah Lain. Newton’s steely determination to return to court following a head-injury in the morning proved worthwhile as she wrapped up the match 3-0. Lain to her credit hung in but had no match for Lara’s hard-hitting and accuracy.
The final match of the day, and the one that had spectators divided in their predictions, saw Lexden’s Michael Tallentire face Woodford Well’s Gareth Naidoo. With many tipping an experienced Naidoo, who had the advantage of a bye through his semi-final, to go all the way, Tallentire knew he had his work cut out. What followed was an unbelievable display of stamina, athleticism and sheer desire that saw Tallentire win the match 3/0. In his post-match interview, Tallentire expressed his delight in winning a title that had previously eluded him and credited Lexden and his family for their support over the years.
The full list of winners are below:
A Grade: Michael Tallentire
Ladies: Lara Newton
B Grade: Chris Purkiss
C Grade: Mike Booth
Over 35’s: Neil Cross
Over 40’s: Muhammad Adnan Khan
Over 45’s: Martin Watts
Over 50’s: Dave Smtih
Over 55/60’s: Nigel Bacon
Over 65’s: Brian Clay
Over 70’s: Wyn Edwards
Well done to all of our players, our winners and as always a huge thank you to Lexden RFC for hosting the event and to our main sponsors, Millane Ltd.
This event will return for 2026, so keep an eye on our website and socials for more details.
