A BASINGSTOKE school’s table tennis team has been crowned county champions at their sport once again.

St John’s Church of England Primary School, in Kingsmill Road, has come out on top for the second year in a row in the Hampshire boys’ U11 table tennis competition.

After winning the Basingstoke schools competition in October, the St John’s quartet of Ben Applegate, Hayden Cummings, Jake Calver and Louis Case travelled to Waterside Table Tennis Centre, in Southampton, to take on schools from across the county.

The team fended off strong competition from two other schools in their quest for the final, winning their group matches 8-0 and 6-2.

They then played New Forest’s Marchwood School in the final, winning the match 7-1, to earn another trophy for the school.

The winning team will now travel to London on Saturday, 19 January to compete in the zone finals against other schools from the south east, looking to take the crown of regional champions.

St John’s headteacher Angela Nicholls said: “We wish them good luck in the next round.”