HOLCOMBE Brook B beat Bellingham to claim the BSF Bolton Tennis League's Howarth Cup junior competition.

Bellingham, of the First Division, faced a difficult challenge faced with a 58.5-game advantage the Division Three leaders had been given by the handicapping system.

If the higher-division team were to be successful in the final staged at Lostock they would have to restrict Holcombe Brook to no more than 13 games over 12 sets.

Bellingham won the mixed sets 24-4.

The left-handed Max Carroll’s serve caused Bellingham some early, minor trouble, but Rangel Metodiev – with a fine outswinging serve – and Emily Broughton comfortably won their set.

Ewan Findlow and Gracie Grundy battled hard in the face of stronger firepower as they took one game.

Bellingham remained ahead of target in the second group of matches with a 24-2 win.

In the girls’ sets, Livia Harper and Charlotte Broughton made no mistake in a 6-0 win.

Holcombe Brook's Scarlett Simmons and Imogen Short put up more resistance against Bellingham’s second pairing of Emily Broughton and Grace Preston, taking two games. It was then up to the boys to try to produce an unlikely victory for Holcombe Brook.

Bellingham's Rob Cowley and Metodiev quickly and clinically won 6-0, Cowley's forehand proving a powerful weapon.

As the final set began the match score was 66.5-66 to Holcombe Brook B.

Joe Hamer and Adam Scarth kept their team's noses in front as they took an early 2-1 lead.

Their solid defensive play forced Bellingham's Dan and Ben Hurst to make errors and the Holcombe Brook pair ran out 6-2 winners to clinch a 72.5-68 match victory for their side.