EVESHAM men's junior squad coach Keith Rafter took his crews to Stourport last weekend.

On Saturday, Andrew Walker comfortably overpowered his opposition in the quarter and semi-finals of the J14 sculls before meeting a talented women's sculler from Wycliffe College in the final.

She was half a length up after the start, but Walker raised the tempo and put in a storming finish to win by a length.

In the J14 double sculls, Walker teamed up with Chris Sumner and put on a fine display of exhibition sculling against an inexperienced double from Tideway Scullers School, winning by more than six lengths.

The rapidly improving double of Ewan Baird and Tom Dyson were forced to row at J16 as there was no competition at J15.

Undaunted, they were half a length up after 250 metres when disaster struck as their blades hit submerged rocks, causing them to slip more than two lengths adrift.

Recovering quickly they put in a tremendous effort to grind down their opposition, eventually losing by only half a length.

In the same event, fresh from their debut pairing in the National Championships, Dimitri Phoursa and Alex Gregory showed signs of their future potential, narrowly missing out to the eventual winners, Burton Leander.

On Sunday, over a shorter course of 600 metres, Evesham entered two double sculls in the J15 event.

Chris Lambourne and Chris Sumner, sculling a year above their status, held Hereford till the last 100 metres, eventually succumbing to lose by only a length.

Baird and Dyson faced Newark in the semi-finals and won comfortably before meeting Hereford in the final. Here they exacted revenge for their mishap on Saturday and won the event by three lengths.

Phoursa and Gregory faced a strong crew from home club Stourport in the final of the men's J16 double sculls.

Keeping with them until 100 metres from the finish, they eventually lost by a length.

Walker, competing in the J14 sculls, powered through two rounds with wins over Worcester and Minerva Bath, before meeting Baker of St Neots in the final.

This was his toughest race of the weekend, as he caught a crab under pressure.

Undeterred, he regained his composure and fought through to win by 3/4 of a length to bring his weekend tally to three wins.