In the Prudden Tennis League for the South Warwickshire and District, the Premier Division race became even tighter as Evesham stayed a point clear with a 4-0 victory over Stratford B. Meanwhile Henley dropped to second place after only a 3-1 win over Littleton. This gave current champions Stratford-on-Avon a chance to move up to equal second with Henley, which they did with an emphatic 4-0 result over Moreton-in-Marsh. Inkberrow move up to fourth place 7 points further back after they beat bottom club Claverdon 3-1. Claverdon also played Littleton in a re-arranged fixture from last week which saw Claverdon gain only their second win of the season when they defeated Littleton 3-1.
Evesham remained on top of the league when they recorded a comfortable win 4-0 in straight sets over Stratford B who now occupy one of the relegation spots. The Evesham pair Chris Francis & John Clarke beat Nick Harper & Olivier Rott (Stratford B) 6-3, 6-4 and then beat Mark Parsons & Anthony Craig (Stratford B) 6-2, 6-2. Simon Wall & Dave Hubbard (Evesham) beat Parsons & Craig 6-3, 6-2 and beat Harper & Rott 6-4, 6-4.
Henley drop a point and a position as they could only manage a 3-1 win over Littleton. With this result they go down to equal second place alongside Stratford. The Henley first pair of Ben Summers & Rich Butler succeeded in giving their team maximum points in their two rubbers beating Chris Elliott & Ian Smith (Littleton) 6-1, 6-3 and beating Andy Reynolds & Richard Herborn (Littleton) 6-2, 6-2. John Turner & Phil Silk (Henley) beat Reynolds & Herborn 6-3, 7-6, but lost to Elliott & Smith 4-6, 6-4, 0-1 (7-10).
Current Premier Division Champions Stratford-on-Avon showed their class as they continued to creep up the table and are now only a point behind the leaders Evesham after another good 4-0 result over Moreton-in-Marsh, who as a result dropped to fifth. Stratford captain Tim Page & club coach Ralf Nielson sailed to victory beating first Gary Jackson & Brian Lomas (Moreton) 6-0, 6-3 and then Chris Adams & Mick Simpson (Moreton) 6-0, 6-1. Callum Bailey & Richard Monk (Stratford) beat Adams & Simpson 6-3, 6-1 and then beat Jackson & Lomas 6-3, 6-4.
Inkberrow move up a place to fourth after they defeated bottom side Claverdon 3-1, although Claverdon only managed to field one pair. Pete Watson & Tim Kenneally (Inkberrow) beat Richard Butler & Nigel Bacon (Claverdon) 6-0, 6-3, and had a 6-0, 6-0 walkover. Gareth Price & Matt Knowles (Inkberrow) had a 6-0, 6-0 walkover but then in the first game against Claverdon, Knowles injured himself and had to retire and in so doing the Inkberrow pair had to concede to Butler & Bacon 0-6, 0-6. In a re-arranged match Claverdon beat Littleton 3-1. Nigel Bacon & Pete Thomas (Claverdon) beat Chris Elliott & Nick Hird (Littleton) 6-2, 6-2 and beat Ian Smith & John Fielder (Claverdon) 6-2, 6-2. Richard Butler & Richard Hamilton (Claverdon) beat Smith & Fielder 6-1, 6-3 but lost to Elliott & Hird 7-5, 0-6, 0-1 (7-10).
In Division One the top teams all won their matches and have completely broken away from the rest. Chipping Campden stayed at the top with a comfortable straight sets 4-0 win over Inkberrow B. Alcester stayed second but on the same points after they received a 4-0 walkover struggling Tanworth-in-Arden who will be fined for failing to play this fixture. Pershore stayed third after they overcame Whitnash 4-0 and Ardencote fourth when they had an easy victory over relegation threatened Bidford-on-Avon 4-0.
In Division Two previous table toppers Shipston-on-Stour suffered their first defeat of the season 1-3 to third placed Claverdon B. This moved the Claverdon side up to second and pushed Shipston down to third. Shipston did fight tooth and nail before going down in two out of three rubbers by only two points in tight Championship Tie-Breaks. Shipston were replaced by FISSC as they took over at the top of the division with a near annihilation of last but one team Alcester B 4-0. Stratford C consolidated their position in fourth just above Studley by beating them 3-1, but were also forced to two Tie-Break rubbers in a competitive division. Finally, Littleton B kept free from the relegation places despite only drawing 2-2 with bottom placed Harbury.
With Studley B having an enforced lay off this week, Snitterfield pulled further away at the top of Division Three. They inflicted the first defeat of the season on Ilmington 3-1, which saw the latter drop a place to fourth. Studley B were pushed down in their absence to third after Aston Cantlow jumped two places to second place as a result of their thumping 4-0 win over bottom team HDA Redditch. Chipping Campden B escaped the relegation zone when they overtook FISSC B with a convincing 4-0 win.
The Wildmoor team moved even further ahead opening up a five point gap at the top of Division Four. They continued their unbeaten run with another victory, this time 3-1 over lowly Claverdon C. Shipston B slipped further behind in second as they were shocked to be held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Inkberrow D. Inkberrow C stay third and Chipping Campden C fourth despite their match this week being postponed.
In Division Five, with second placed Henley B taking a week off, leaders Snitterfield B suffered a shock first defeat of the season to third placed Alcester C 1-3. The deciding rubber went to a 10-8 tie-break before Alcester clinched it and gave them hope of claiming a promotion place. HDA B of Redditch stayed fourth despite a good 3-1 victory over Henley C, who is just below them in the table. Finally, Bidford B, second from bottom, recorded their first win of the season 3-1 against bottom of the league Pershore B.