With the under-125 graded team playing in Cambridge, Essex were without two or three key players in this match. Even so, a solid 4th place in a field of 11 in the County's first attempt at this title was more than respectable, and with every member of the side still young enough to play again next year, the Under 16s looks to be an event which we will be supporting for the foreseeable future.
After a very promising start, Essex and Kent shared second place, just one point behind Richmond. However, the age-old problem of the second-round slump again seemed to affect the team and with only six points forthcoming Essex slipped to third place, alongside Kent and Richmond, but behind Surrey, who began with two solid scores of 7½/12 in each round. The revelation of Round 2 were Glamorgan, whose 10/12 leapfrogged everyone.
The Welsh side were unable to maintain their momentum in round 3, however, and with a storming 10½ from Richmond, Glamorgan were placed second on a tie break, Kent scoring 9½ to take 3rd while Essex's 8½, another very good score, gave us 4th place. That position does not tell the whole story, though, as Essex were only two points behind the leaders but three points ahead of Surrey in 5th.
Star of the show from the Essex point of view was Julian Winkworth, who won all three games on board three. Bobby Payne, the Essex board 2, could not quite keep pace with Julian, scoring 2½, but played exceptionally well in round one to defeat Bernhard Klein (Cheshire & North Wales), whose grade is 160 to Bobby's 130. Bobby drew with another 160, John Tabatabai of Glamorgan. John Sneesby also managed 2½, winning in the final round in spite of a large time deficit.
Of the players who scored 2/3, a special mention should be made of Sam Rank, who learned that he was to be in the team only a short while before the departure time. This was an excellent performance from a player who has not had much experience at County level before.
| Essex | Rd1 | Rd2 | Rd3 | Total | |
| 1 | Laurence Trent | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Bobby Payne | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 3 | Julian Winkworth | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Josiah Lutton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Kyle Bennett | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½` |
| 6 | John Sneesby | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ |
| 7 | Graham Walker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Jason Klimach | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1½ |
| 9 | Heather Walker | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Alistair Hung | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Thomas Winkworth | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 12 | Sam Rank | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 8 | 6 | 8½ | 22½ |
| Team | Rd1 | Rd2 | Rd3 | Total | |
| 1 | Richmond | 9 | 5 | 10½ | 24½ |
| 2 | Glamorgan | 6½ | 10 | 9 | 24½ |
| 3 | Kent | 8 | 6 | 9½ | 23½ |
| 4 | Essex | 8 | 6 | 8½ | 22½ |
| 5 | Surrey | 7½ | 7½ | 4½ | 19½ |
| 6 | Cheshire & N. Wales | 7½ | 5½ | 5 | 18 |
| 7 | Buckinghamshire | 5½ | 7 | 3½ | 16 |
| 8= | Wiltshire | 5 | 4½ | 4 | 13½ |
| 8= | Somerset | 3 | 6 | 4½ | 13½ |
| 10 | Hampshire | 1½ | 4 | 6 | 11½ |
| 11 | Berkshire | 4½ | 4½ | 2 | 11 |