REDRICE Squash Club's Michael Elford has continued his rapid improvement over the last 12 months by recently winning this season's Hants County Championships from a Redrice No 1 and defending champion Stuart Summers.

The Redrice No 2 string, Elford efeated Joe Russell (Lee-on-Solent) 3-1 in the semi-finals and Bristol-based player Matt Holland (Redlands) 3-0 in the final.

Elford's game will continue to improve as he is beginning to play highly-ranked England squash players having lost to Danny Meddings and Stephen Meads in the final of recent graded tournaments.

Redrice men's first team will be hoping to go one better than last year when they were narrowly pipped for the county title when they start a new Hants Premier campaign. The team remains the same as last season, with Elford and Stuart Summers at the top of the order, Redrice pfofessional Gary Hales at No 3 and two Army playes, Robbie Robinson and 'Ginge' Whiteman, at the lower end.

The men's first team team is being sponsored by Oakwood Shopfitting who are also continuing their backing of the Redrice ladies first team. Ros Hursell has unfortunately been ruled out for the whole of the season due to a serious arm injury and Sue Williams, the England Over-35 player and Hampshire county player, takes over as No 1.

Debbie Smith, Karen Sturgess, Jill Hall and Angie Riggs all remain from last season, with Hall taking over the captaincy in the absence of Hursell.

Redrice men's second team sponsored by Rappa Fencing is aiming to win promotion for the third time in as many seasons under the captaincy of Neil Dyke and they also have a new No 1 in Army player Ray Burke.

Redrice ladies second team has a new sponor in Ayers Music but they have lost their top two players while Redrice men's third team will be led by Redrice manager/director Adrian Williams and has joint-sponsors this season in Suash Court Plastering Services and Weyhill Timber Products.

Redrice will again be running two junior teams with 'Man-'n'-Van backing the first team and MRT Castings the second. The first team has lost its three top players to university and Dean Felkler takes over as No 1 and includes Wiltshire under-13 county player James Burke.