Newly-promoted Warwickshire Men’s tennis side clinched their second straight win on Day 3 of the AEGON Summer County Cup, Group 1 at Eastbourne, finishing their rain-affected match against North of Scotland in style. Leading 4-2 overnight, they took the match 6-3 then clinched a hard-fought tie with Yorkshire by the same score and are currently lying second overall, behind unbeaten favourites Lancashire. Teenager Elliot Barnwell making his debut against Yorkshire at third pair with Steven Lee, looked an impressive prospect as the pair won two out of three rubbers in straight sets and only went down to the first pair Andrew Banks and Kyle Brassington in a deciding championship tie-break. First pair Maniel Bains and Nathan Rooney and seconds Neil Goldsby and Andrew Fitzpatrick also won two out of three, losing only to Banks and Brassington and four of the matches went to a nerve-wracking deciding tie-break. Captain Gary Naughton was elated at his young side’s fine fighting performance.
Everyone played their hearts out today” he enthused. “There’s a great spirit among them and I was delighted at how well Elliot and the other youngsters like Andrew Fitzpatrick have risen to the challenge. It’s a real confidence boost after we were whitewashed by Herts on the first day and we’re determined to try to upset our next opponents Lancashire.
It was a different story for Warwickshire’s depleted women’s side which had trailed 2-4 against Surrey overnight. Despite heroics from the top two pairs who each snatched a win in the final round, the third pair of Manisha Foster and Aimee Jarrett went down fighting in the deciding rubber, to give Surrey a tense 5-4 victory.
In their next match, against Essex, rain intervened with matters nerve-janglingly balanced at 3-all. With no wins so far this week, Katie Shaw’s young team, which last year took the title, know they must win this cliff-hanger to stand any chance of survival in Group 1. Big-hitting Celia Fraser, 17, brought in to partner Aimee Jarrett at third pair in place of 15-year-old Manisha Foster, failed to make much impression in her first two rubbers of the week, so it will probably fall to the Midlanders’ first pair Luisa Cowper and Leyla Ogan and seconds Jess Jackson and Hannah James to try to salvage a crucial victory before they take on strugglers Leicestershire later today (Thursday).
Results: Eastbourne. AEGON Summer County Cup Tennis Championship, Group 1
Men’s Event Warwickshire bt Yorkshire 6-3 (Warwickshire names first)
1st pair: M.Bains/N Rooney lost A. Banks/ K. Brassington 5-7 4-6
bt B. Gudzalek/ E. Chang 6-2 6-2
bt B. Atkinson/ T. Jordan 7-5 6-1
2nd pair N.Goldsby/ A.Fitzpatrick lost A. Banks/ K. Brassington 6-2 6-7 8-10
bt B. Gudzalek/ E. Chang 1-6 7-5 10-8
bt B. Atkinson/ T. Jordan 3-6 6-2 10-8
3rd pair E.Barnwell/ S.Lee lost 6-4 2-6 5-10
bt B. Gudzalek/ E. Chang 6-1 7-6
bt B. Atkinson/ T. Jordan 6-3 6-2
Women’s event Warwickshire lost to Surrey 4-5 (Warwickshire names first)
1st pair: L.Cowper/ L.Ogan lost to L.Woodroffe/ H.Collin 2-6 3-6
bt M.Oldham /K. Patterson 6-4 7-5
bt L.Slater/ V.Brook 3-6 6-3 11-9
2nd pair: J. Jackson/ H.James lost L.Woodroffe/ H.Collin 1-6 4-6
bt. M.Oldham /K. Patterson 6-4 6-3
bt L.Slater/ V.Brook 6-4 6-4
3rd pair: M.Foster / A. Jarrett lost L.Woodroffe/ H.Collin 5-7 0-6
lost to. M.Oldham /K. Patterson 3-6 3-66-4 6-3
lost to L.Slater/ V.Brook 3 6-7 5-6
Warwickshire Women 3-all with Essex – match unfinished due to rain (Warwicks names first)
1st pair: L.Cowper/ L.Ogan bt S.Cornish/ BHunter 6-4 6-3
bt A. Wainwright/A. Gibson7-6 4-6 10-7
2nd pair: J. Jackson/ H.James bt S. Cornish/ B. Hunter6-4 6-0
lost to. S. Cockell/ J. Rabot 3-6 2-6
3rd pair: C.Fraser / A. Jarrett lost to A. Wainwright/A. Gibson 4-6 3-6
lost to S. Cockell/ J. Rabot 3-6 3-6