Basketball: Peers guides Chester to clean sweep

Chester Jets completed their clean sweep of the four domestic titles by beating the Sheffield Sharks 93-82 at Wembley Arena on Saturday to win the BBL Championship title.

Chester Jets completed their clean sweep of the four domestic titles by beating the Sheffield Sharks 93-82 at Wembley Arena on Saturday to win the BBL Championship title.

Robbie Peers, their coach, led the Jets to the first silverware in their history, the BBL Trophy, last season. This campaign they successfully defended the Trophy title, won the National Cup, the Northern Conference and now the Championship.

Peers, a former England international who relies on just five players – four Americans and a New Zealander – said: "For us to win all four titles on a budget of virtually nothing – you won't find anything like that anywhere in sport."

The conference system, introduced three seasons ago, has rejuvenated the previously unfashionable Jets who reached the play-offs only once in the previous eight seasons.

Peers rarely goes to even a sixth man on his bench, relying on the Americans James Hamilton, John McCord, John Thomas and Calvin Davis, and the New Zealand international captain, Pero Cameron.

Sheffield, beaten by Leicester Riders in last season's final, trailed 20-19 at the end of the first quarter, 45-43 at half-time and 68-61 after the third. McCord led the scorers with 31 points.