THE under-16 girls from Basildon's Woodlands School are having their best netball season for 17 years.

Having been District winners and County runners-up, the girls qualified for the regional finals.

And they did superbly to finish runners-up to qualify for the national final of the National Schools Competition at Redbridge Sports Centre in March. Woodlands' headteacher Andy White is very proud of the team describing them as "an exceptional talent."

A long day at the regional event started when the girls set off from Woodlands, in Takeley End, at 6.45am to make the two-hour journey to Bedford.

Play was delayed due to the courts being covered by heavy frost but once they started Woodlands swept aside all opposition to win their pool and take on Broxbourne, Herts.

The semi-finals saw Woodlands battle under floodlights in adversity which included losing wing attack Kylie-Rae Evans with a pulled thigh muscle.

But Woodlands won 5-4 amid scenes of elation and tears of joy at the realisation what they had achieved.

In the final they were beaten by Chelmsford County High, but were through to the national finals.

The squad which represented Woodlands was: Amy Fennelly, Danielle Dornan, Annie Flowers, Claire Upston, Hannah Savin, Kylie-Rae Evans, Micha Dornan, Hayley Wyatt and Laura Collings.