Matthew Jackman took the Durham & Cleveland U18 Boys team to Hull; leaving with high hopes and aspirations of gaining another promotion. Setting off from Tennis World on the Thursday, the team was in high spirits. All weekend the boys all gave their all for the team and without doubt had the best supporters from the sidelines on and off the court. The team consisted of: Dan Bennett, Callum Todd, Ben Dean, Rory Gaydon, John Heppell, Andrew McBride, Kyle Upton and Matthew Hollingworth. Unfortunately, two close losses to Norfolk and East of Scotland left us out of contention for promotion. We instead woke up on the Sunday in a relegation battle. After a slow start, the lads got their momentum back and ended up earning a 5-2 win over Shropshire, which secured their place in group 5 for next year. I was proud of the team’s effort, as a few points here and there could’ve changed the whole outcome of the tournament. It was a great experience for all and I’m looking forward to pushing the team up the divisions in the next couple of years.
