Michael Crooks and Jamie Marks were the standout performers for Herefordshire & Worcestershire in the Aegon Summer County Cup in Sussex at West Worthing Tennis Club
The Manor Park pair each won five matches but ultimately their efforts were in vain as H&W ended bottom of Men’s Group 5 and will now drop down to Group 6 for the first time in three years.
Charles Crisp was leading the team for the first time against the rival counties of Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Durham & Cleveland,Oxfordshire and Sussex.
The counties competed against each other over five days with Jack George-Burnell, Michael Langston, Alex Parker and Richard Tuck also in action for H&W with Sussex topping the group to earn promotion.
The Aegon Cup is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the UK dating back to 1895 with 44 counties competing in seven groups nationally.