Next week is the most important one of the year for our senior county teams, who will be battling their hearts out for Suffolk and trying to make an impression amidst the annual challenge and excitement that is the Aegon nationwide Inter-County Cup competition. Our Men have really done the county proud in recent years, reaching the dizzy heights of Group 3 for the first time in our history, whereas our Ladies will be attempting to climb out of Group 6B at Tunbridge Wells.
Having done so well to reach Group 3, and even bigger effort will be needed to ensure that Suffolk Men retain this proud status, and they are pleased to be returning to Hunstanton , which was the venue for their great triumph last July. Suffolk county champion Jeremy Cowley will need to call on all his deepest inspirational powers, though he will be well supported as usual by a squad of Matt Hough, Matt Kirby, Myles Orton, Ollie Sutton, Ben Smith, Dom Hemy, Ben Roberts-Law, Mark Hemy and Elliot Street.
Matt Hough earned his county colours in 2009 together with Ashley Watling, and it can only be hoped that Watling’s unavailability will not prove too crucial. Watling is doing exceptionally well at Tulsa University in the States and will be continuing his all-round development in America. Ben Smith made a highly successful debut last year and is a powerful addition to the squad, with Elliot Street confirming his ability in the Winter County Cup, in which Suffolk also continue to do well.
The size of the task facing the Men can be measured by the fact that some of the opposition teams can boast previous Group 1 status, Suffolk competing against Sussex, Dorset, Middlesex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Essex. A repeat of the 2010 first day result would be good, Suffolk opening what turned out to be an outstanding week with a narrow, hardfought 5-4 victory over local rivals Essex. This result was a real springboard and the start of a campaign which saw them emerge as champions !
An excited Cowley, who has also spearheaded the magnificent performance of the Ipswich Sports Club in the Aegon National League this Summer, is in defiant mood as he says, “ We travel to Hunstanton to focus on keeping Suffolk in the highest division we have ever been in. We have tough opposition, and we will miss the quality of Ashley Watling, but with a great team ethic we hope to maintain last year’s hard and survive in a division which will prove our toughest test yet. We are playing at Hunstanton which is the same venue as our great triumph last year and we are our hoping for a happy return.”
Suffolk Ladies will be playing in Group 6B at Tunbridge Wells in the new three-day format on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, July 17th, 18th and 19th. The venue for this shortened format was originally thought to be Felixstowe, which would have given a unique opportunity for Suffolk tennis supporters to encourage both our teams, though the powers that be re-directed affairs to Kent. A squad which sees an interesting blend of youth and experience are more than capable of climbing out of Group 6B.
At the time of writing the Ladies’ squad comprises Emma Elsom, Kari Sherington, Katie Tassell (nee Bull), Louise Rogers, Laura Mee, Lysette Fulcher and Francesca Ridley. Katie Tassell was awarded her Colours in 2005, Louise Rogers and Emma Elsom achieving this accolade in 2007. In addition, Katie has won the Suffolk Ladies’ Singles a remarkable 6 times and Louise Rogers twice, so there is considerable ability which hopefully will be able to rise to the challenge.
The opposition for the Ladies at Tunbridge Wells will be regional rivals Bedfordshire, Cornwall and the Isle of Man, and we wish both teams the very best of luck for both successful and enjoyable campaigns.They may travel with differing ambitions, but more sides are more than capable of performing well and carrying the flag proudly for Suffolk once again. Once County Week is completed, the Summer holiday tournament programme begins with that marvellous junior festival of tennis that is the Glasswell’s Bury and West Suffolk Tournament at the Victory Ground.