Aegon Summer County Cup Ladies 2011

Aegon Summer County Cup Ladies 2011

LADIES DIV 1             

DEVONSHIRE PARK, EASTBOURNE         

MON 18 – FRI 22 JULY 2011

BUCKS TEAM:

JULIA BONE

ALEX CLARK

CELIA CORNFORTH (née Bristow)

CLAIRE HAMILTON

JEMIMA HAYWARD

HELEN LAWSON

TOR PISANI

KATHRYN SHARPLES

ALISON LONGFIELD (non playing captain)

Our 4th year in Group 1!  Definitely still enjoying our stay in the top flight of British team tennis. 2011 brought with it experience and fresh blood combined.. First timers at county week were Kathryn, Alex & Tor. Bring it on!

The LTA have kept Ladies Group 1-4 in the same format this year whilst shortening Group 5-7 to play over 3 days. So for us, it was still 6 counties, 45 doubles matches, 1 overall winner, 3 counties staying and 2 going down after 5 days of play.

MON v LANCS

Following the pouring rain of the weekend, damp, unplayable grass courts forced a mass decamp up the road to Eastbourne College Astroturf courts. Keeping a 3 set match format in the dull conditions Bucks ended up 1-2 down after the 1st round… However a hearty lunch and strong support from the “wall” saw Julia & Jemima clinch a tough 3 setter and Claire & Helen come through in theirs, leaving us locked at 3-3 at the turn. The heavens opened soon after though and in conditions more suited to hockey, play was eventually abandoned…! Not quite the sunny start Alex Clarke was hoping for on her 1st ever County week!

TUES v the rest of LANCS and HERTFORDSHIRE

Tuesday brought a sunny start but early play was required to get through the delayed matches from Monday.  We started on the astro, needing 2 matches for a win. Unfortunately despite a 3rd win for Julia & Jemima, and a tie break from Celia & Alex we were just pipped at the post for a 4-5 loss. Gutting!

A fresh mindset and dry grass for the 1st time in the week.. by 12.30pm we were warming up for Day 2… Kathryn Sharples joined Celia Cornforth as the 3rd pair.  They battled hard all afternoon but couldn’t quite take a rubber, while Julia & Jemima dropped their 1st and only rubber of the week to Amanda Elliot & Claire Ricketts in a championship tiebreak. Claire & Helen picked up 1 win in the last round in another tight championship tiebreak so a 3-6 loss summed up our day.  But don’t panic, the team spirit was revived with ice creams all round and several visits to the physio room to relive already aching limbs!

WED v WARWICKSHIRE

Wednesday started fine and play was optimistically started on the grass with 3 setters all round. Julia & Jemima got us going with a 6-1, 6-3 whizzy win while despite battling bravely and taking their match to 3 sets, Claire & Helen were pipped at the post. Alex & Celia were beaten in straight sets leaving us 1-2 down by lunchtime.  That’s when the rain came so back to the astro and a shortened format… Bucks pulled out all the stops and brought the score back to 3-3. Very exciting! Everything to play for, final round again… Captaining was stressful as I bounded between the courts.. Alex & Celia went to a nail biting championship tie break in their third which they just missed out on whilst the other 2 pairs fought and won both of their matches in tight straight sets. Our 1st win in the gathering gloom around 7.30pm.  Boy did we need dinner that night!!  A close run but much needed 5-4. I was very proud of everyone.  3 counties were now on 1 win each!  We were back in the mix!

THURS v SURREY

Thursday brought yet more rain and so the day started and finished on the astro. A debut performance at No. 3 pair for Tor Pisani with Celia showed a brave fight with the number 3 pair from Surrey but unfortunately they lost a close match 6-4 6-2. Claire & Helen had a storming start against the established 1st pair from Surrey, but unfortunately they couldn't hold onto the lead and lost in 3 sets. Jemima & Julia battled hard in the horrible conditions and won 6-4 in the 3rd.  2-1 down after the first round.  2nd round Bucks came back yet again fighting, Tor & Celia came very close in the first set of their match and after a very convincing win by Helen & Claire and a solid win for Jemima & Julia at 1st pair the match was levelled at 3-3. After yet more rain the match continued, the 1st pair were too strong for Tor & Celia. Jemima & Julia beat the 2nds but unfortunately Helen & Claire lost two very tight sets which ended the match 5-4 to Surrey. This result meant that for Bucks Ladies to stay we would need to beat Cheshire on the final day to stay in Group 1.

FRIDAY v CHESHIRE

At last the team woke up to sunshine. With high spirits and a few physio sessions we were ready to go. The start time was delayed but no one minded because the match was back on grass. Through a tactical change in our pairings Jemima & Julia stayed at 1st pair and beat the 2nd pair 6-0 6-0. Celia & Tor lost to the 1st pair and Helen & Claire debuting at 3rd pair beat the 3rd in two tight sets. 2-1 Bucks!!  After a quick lunch break we resumed…. Helen & Claire took apart their opposition, Tor & Celia lost a very tight match, going all the way to a 3rd set, and Jemima & Julia took down the Murray sisters at No.1. 4-2 Bucks, only one more rubber needed to stay in Group 1. 3rd round started, the team glancing over to their teammates to see what was happening with the scores. Bucks dominated the final round. Jemima & Julia finished first and sealed victory for Bucks, Claire & Helen followed shortly beating the 1sts and then Celia & Tor came in just short of victory. FINAL RESULT 6-3 BUCKS

BUCKS IN GROUP 1 FOR THE FIFTH YEAR!!!!!!!

THANK YOU TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS THAT CAME TO WATCH DURING THE WEEK AND FOR THE HARDCORE FANS THAT SUPPORTED EVERY DAY.

Alison Longfield & Jemima Hayward

Direct link to results page:

http://lta.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draw.aspx?id=89F6878A-5DB6-472D-84F9-227631E25C7F&draw=1