SUSSEX comfortably preserved their Premier Division status in the national Inter-Counties Championships by finishing top in the play-off group at Manchester.

They beat Lancashire 4-1 and both Middlesex and Northumberland 5-0. The only match Sussex lost went according to national rankings when county champion Tim Garner went down to Lancashire's England No. 3 Nick Taylor.

Sussex pro Julian Wellings, who is ranked 14 nationally, and Peter Genever, who has recovered from a broken foot, won their three matches in straight games while county juniors Tim Vail and Paul Taylor were taken to five games in one of their matches before winning the others convincingly.

Sussex 5 Northumberland 0: Tim Garner bt Bryan Beeson, 9-7, 9-2, 9-2; Julian Wellings bt Paul Millington 9-3, 9-3, 9-3; Peter Genever bt Steve Calvert 9-6, 9-1, 9-2; Tim Vail bt Adam Oliver 9-4, 9-4, 9-5; Paul Taylor bt Graham Purvis 9-2, 9-0, 9-0.

Susex 4 Lancashire 1: Tim Garner lost to Nick Taylor 8-10, 5-9, 0-9; Julian Wellings bt Nigel Willis 9-4, 9-5, 9-5; Peter Genever bt Peter Billson 9-2, 9-3, 9-5; Tim Vail bt Julian Wilson 9-4, 10-8, 9-5; Paul Taylor bt Dan Patel 9-2, 9-10, 0-9, 9-2, 9-0.

Sussex 5, Middlesex 0: Tim Garner bt Peter Gunter 9-2, 10-8, 9-0; Julian Wellings bt Guy Olby 9-4, 9-4, 9-5; Peter Genever bt Alan Thomson 9-2, 9-5, 9-0; Tim Vail bt Alex Couch l9-3, 6-9, 9-8, 8-10, 9-4; Paul Taylor bt Chris Newlyn 9-0, 9-1, 9-5.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.