The Northumberland County Ladies' Tennis Team won a comprehensive victory at the Aegon Summer County Week between July 20th and 24th, which took place at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, Yorkshire.
The team consisted of Deborah Armstrong, Fran Booth, Stephanie Booth, Amy Hoburn, Lauren Jones, Abigail Lemberger, Sarah Oswald, Rachael Oswald along with Emma Wilson and they won five out of five days to gain promotion to Group 3 for next year’s event.
The team played 9 doubles matches each day, beating West of Scotland 9-0, South Wales 6-3, North of Scotland 7-2 & North Wales 8-1. On the last day the team had to play Lincolnshire who, like Northumberland, had won all of their matches. With one result to go, the score was 4-4 & Lincolnshire were one set up in the final rubber. In true fighting fashion, Northumberland came back to win in three sets, thus clinching the match 5-4. This meant that the Northumberland team topped their group & gained promotion!
The team manager, Margaret Baron said,
"I am absolutely thrilled with this victory & so proud of the members of the team. We have a very strong squad which has not only gained this summer’s promotion, but follows on from promotions in summer 2013, winter 2013, summer 2014 & winter 2014. This is a remarkable achievement for a relatively young team. We are now looking forward to the Winter County Cup in November when the team will be in the second highest group in the country.”
Aegon County Cup Events give players the opportunity of representing their counties in a competitive team environment and the age group categories range from 9U through to 35 & Over!
The Aegon Summer County Cup Event is possibly the oldest tennis event on the domestic calendar with Gloucestershire men being the winners back in 1895 and Surrey winning the first ladies event in 1899. The forty-four competing counties are organised in six groups of six counties per group and two groups of eight counties on a league basis.
For further information please visit http://www.lta.org.uk/competitions/team-competition/aegon-county-cup/