Cornwall Men’s Team competed this year in group 4 of the winter county cup, which was held in Newport, South Wales. The team consisted of regular players from the past few years: Tim Webster, John Richards, Andy Hill, Dan Elston, Adrian Williams and Tim Hill but was also boosted by the return of Liam Storey and Matt Trudgeon. With such a strong and experienced team the feeling amongst the players was that it was going to be a good opportunity to gain promotion especially after the success of the previous summer.
Day 1 Cornwall v Buckinghamshire
With Andy Hill still overcoming a back injury, the decision was to rest him for the first day and bring in Tim Hill to play at No 6 meaning Liam Storey would step up to No 5. Both players started well, with Liam going on to win a good match from a break down in the third set. Tim Hill found his opponent too tough to break down and suffered a defeat. This meant the stage was set for the return of Matt Trudgeon who was playing No 4. He got off to a great start leading 4-2 in the first set when after hitting a serve and starting to move forward he felt something in the back of his leg. Quickly turning round to see who had thrown something at him, he took one more step and collapsed on the floor and it was then pretty clear his weekend would come to a premature end. He needed immediate hospital treatment for an Achilles injury. We wish him a speedy and as painless recovery as possible. Dan Elston came in at No 3 and produced a strong performance to get past his opponent in straight sets. John Richards (No 2) and Tim Webster (No 1) both secured good wins to put Cornwall in to a 4-2 lead.
Only needing one doubles rubber, Cornwall introduced their doubles specialist of Adrian Williams into their third pair partnering Dan Elston. This proved to be the winning combination that would earn Cornwall an unassailable lead of 5-2. The second pair saw Andy Hill come in as sub for Matt Trudgeon and partner Liam Storey. Again Cornwall proved too strong and won another rubber. First pair of Tim Webster and John Richards found their Bucks opponents to strong on the day and suffered a defeat meaning Cornwall ended the day as 6-3 winners overall.
Day 2 Cornwall v Hereford & Worcester
Now a man down for the rest of the weekend, Tim Hill continued at No 6, Liam at No 5 and Andy Hill in at No 4 to replace Matt. Tim and Liam took to the court to get the day started. Both players faced tough opposition but were both proving their worth. Liam managed to come through in two tight sets to get Cornwall off to a winning start. After a long fight, Tim eventually succumbed to his opponent and the scores were level. Andy Hill entered the fray, not feeling 100% with his back and unsure how well and how log he would be on court. However, he produced a memorable performance and put his opponent away in two straight sets. Dan Elston again provided Cornwall with another rubber as he won his match with good confidence. John Richards showed some great form in what was an exciting match and another step forward to an overall win. Finding him self up against an experienced player, Tim Webster was unable to find the victory and was defeated in two sets. This meant Cornwall were now in a commanding lead of 4-2.
The doubles teams stayed the same and again saw strong performances from Adrian Williams and Dan Elston to get Cornwall to the ever-important fifth rubber. Cornwall ended the day 6-3 winners.
Day 3 Cornwall v Suffolk
With the winners of this match gaining promotion, Cornwall started the day with Tim Hill at No 6 and Liam Storey No 5. While both players found themselves an early break up in the first set, they both found their opponents in strong form and Cornwall went 2-0 down. Andy Hill was unable to add a result as his injury forced him to retire. Dan Elston put up a great fight but also suffered a defeat. John Richards continued his winning ways to end the week undefeated in singles and give Cornwall a lifeline. Maybe the secret to his success was the handle bar moustache he was rocking. The team’s fate was decided when Tim Webster failed to overcome his opponent and saw Suffolk achieve the fifth rubber they needed for promotion.
Overall it was a tremendous team effort with some major lows, with regards to the injuries, but some fantastic highs as the team spirit and performances were excellent.