Competing in Division 2B we had exciting fixtures at home to Cheshire and Lancashire and away to Norfolk and Warwickshire.
We started with what seems like the annual trip to Norwich where we lost 4-1, our doubles supremo’s of Tony Alexander and Pete Whitehead conspiring to lose a match tie break from 9-6 up which could have made the score more respectable but still a disappointing loss!
We followed this up with home wins against Cheshire and Lancashire, both 3-2 in our favour and both narrowly fought.
Whether it was the trek down the M6 or the artificial grass courts which resembled an ice rink but the trip to Warwickshire proved an uncomfortable one, a crashing 10-0 defeat with the less said the better as no high points worthy of comment, the afternoon best summed up by the afternoon tea of Sainsbury’s packaged sandwiches – just about better than no tea at all!
Warwickshire were unbeaten, winning every match 10-0 and ending up Champions and having won 2 and lost 2 we ended up on equal wins in second place with Norfolk, narrowly missing out on second spot itself due to weaker set differential to Norfolk – how we rue those lost tie break sets!
This season saw Tony Mellors make his debut for the County, playing in 3 of our 4 matches with his two wins against Lancashire worth a special mention as they helped us to the narrow victory, my thanks once again go to the other Team Members for their support, matches played in brackets - Peter Whitehead (4), Tim Phillips (1), Steve Wallace (3) and Pete Godber (1).
Tony Alexander
Captain