KENT SENIOR MEN : FIRST AND LAST LEAD THE WAY
At midpoint of the season for Kent’s senior men’s teams, 45-75, an unbeaten record is held by the 45s and 75s, whilst the 55s are about to start and the 70s have completed their matches but won’t know their fate for another five weeks.
Early off the mark were Simon Gent’s 45s, looking to move up a division, and starting well with a 3-2 win at Oxford, where a GB player led the home team, and Dino Skeete and Mark Cunningham were Kent’s singles players. 30 years ahead of them (but not looking it !) Graham Russell’s 75s have won both their matches at Canterbury, both by 4-0, frustrating a strong-looking Middlesex team and then a disappointing Surrey one. Unorthodox !st pair Denis Costelloe and Derek Taylor have set traps for their opponents, whilst the captain has won all his rubbers too, with three different partners. Next will be Herts, which will be a challenge.
Peter Ford’s 55s also face a challenge when they travel to Lancs for their first match, and this is the team which has had the longest preparation, with unusually extensive trials. For Dominic Wood’s 50s, finalists last year, the first match was marred by an injury to key doubles player David Bulgin, leading to a 2-3 loss at South Wales. But the biggest disappointment has been for Rob Andrew’s 60s,who followed 4-1 against Sussex by reaching (Bob Whitehead having had a particularly satisfying singles win) 2-0 and 3 match points on the 1st round against Staffs, only to go down 2-3 finally.
Our other 2012 finalists, Gary Sims’ 65s, have run into ex-Davis Cup opposition, losing 1-4 to Surrey led by John Paish and 2-3 to Leics led by Mark Cox. Nothing to be ashamed of ! Victory 4-1 against Bucks should have set them up to hold their position after remaining matches against Middlesex and Hants.
Finally, the 70s are precariously perched on the lip of relegation after a season made extraordinary by the number of players who came to the rescue, 11 in all : the 1st Tennis XI ! With highly-ranked Bob Milner only fit for one match, and top doubles pair Colin Dancey and Vic Chance only able to play together once, the best features were Colin nevertheless winning all six doubles he played on his return to county tennis, a crucial 1st string singles win against Essex (3-2) by 12-10 in the deciding tie-break, and George Buckmaster battling to tie-break victory in his first-ever county match, to set up a 5-0 win over Norfolk. Given that only three rubbers were accumulated in the other three matches, the team’s fate hangs on Hants also beating Essex, on 23 July.
Stephen Woodley