The Premier Division of the Prudden Summer Tennis League covering the South Warwickshire & Areas of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire continues its unpredictability this year. Evesham, who moved to the top last week, remain there thanks to a 4-0 victory over Littleton. Meanwhile in the big clash between third placed Inkberrow and fourth Stratford -on-Avon at Swans Nest Lane, the reigning champions Stratford regained their form to blow Inkberrow off the courts with a 4-0 bruising. Second placed Henley-in-Arden also visited the Stratford venue to play the Stratford B team, resulting in a 3-1 victory to retain second spot. Finally bottom placed Claverdon continue the early season trend of shocks after they quadrupled their points tally with a 3-1 victory over Moreton-in-Marsh, who themselves had already beaten both Stratford and Inkberrow this season.
Evesham pressed home their advantage at the top by overcoming Littleton 4-0. However, they were forced to fight with two Championship tie-breaks in two of the four rubbers. Dave Hubbard & Chris Francis (Evesham) beat Richard Herborn & Andy Reynolds (Littleton) 7-5, 6-4, and then beat Sean Witheford & Joe Sinclair (Littleton) 6-0, 6-3. Simon Wall & Paul Everatt (Evesham) beat Witheford & Sinclair 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5), and beat Herborn & Reynolds 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (19-17) in the longest Championship Tie-Break score to date in the League.
Henley faced a formidable foe in Stratford B to retain their second place. Ben Summers & John Turner for Henley managed to win both their rubbers although the Stratford top pair of James Smith & Andy Craig made them fight every inch of the opening rubber, before the Henley duo took it 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-7) in a tie-break. In the second rubber Summers & Turner beat Olivier Rott & Sam Righton (Stratford B) 6-2, 6-2. Rob Summers & Richard Butler (Henley) beat Rott & Righton 6-1, 7-5 and but lost to Smith & Craig 3-6, 4-6.
Billed as the tie of the week between last years champions Stratford and team who were currently just above them in third place Inkberrow, this turned out to be an anti-climax as hosts Stratford totally dominated the Littleton team. Stratford captain Tim Page & partner Simon West opened by beating Pete Watson & Ricky Allen (Inkberrow) 6-2, 6-4, and then beat Mike Baker & Matthew Knowles (Inkberrow) 6-2, 6-1. The other Stratford pair Callum Bailey & Richard Monk also won in straight sets beating first Baker & Knowles 6-2, 6-1, and then Watson & Allan 6-0, 6-4. A gap is developing between the top three teams although only two points separate themselves in their mini league.
At the bottom of the Premier table Claverdon produced another surprise when away from home they defeated Moreton 3-1 to record their first win of the season. Richard Butler & James Courier opened in the usual manner losing to Gary Jackson & Brian Lomas (Moreton) but not without a fight 2-6, 6-4, 0-1 (9-11). However, they then beat Chris Adams & Gary Lewis (Moreton) 6-2, 7-6. Meanwhile the other Claverdon duo of Don Preston & Carsten Astheimer managed to win both their rubbers 6-2, 6-1 against Adams & Lewis and 6-1, 6-4 over Jackson & Lomas.
After a four week reign on top of Division One, Alcester are deposed by Chipping Campden who chalked up a resounding 4-0 victory over the previous leaders. Alcester tried to fight back in the last rubber taking it to a tie-break before succumbing, but lost the other three in straight sets. The teams trailing in third and fourth, Pershore and Ardencote respectively, have stayed in those positions after sharing a 2-2 draw. Inkberrow stay fifth after they recorded a 3-1 victory over the bottom team Tanworth-in-Arden, while Bidford swapped places with Whitnash when they chalked up their first win of the season beating the Leamington side 3-1.
In Division Two this week Shipston tried to reclaim the lead at the top by defeating mid-table Studley 3-1. However, Claverdon B kept them at bay to remain leaders after they beat Stratford C by the same 3-1 margin. FISSC kept up their challenge with a 4-0 thrashing of Harbury to remain third, on the same points as Shipston, but behind them by virtue of an earlier head to head defeat. At the bottom of the Division Littleton B visited Alcester B and enjoyed their first victory of the season as they overcame their opponents 3-1. This lifts Littleton B to level with Harbury and only a point behind Alcester B.
In Division Three a great 3-1 result for Snitterfield over the previous week’s leaders Studley B meant they jumped from third to the top of the Division. The other previous title contenders Ilmington had an enforced week off. Chipping Campden B took advantage of that to join them and FISSC B in joint third after Campden B beat Aston Cantlow 3-1. FISSC B had been held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side HDA Redditch.
The Wildmoor team retained their 3 point lead over Shipston B at the top of Division Four with an emphatic 4-0 victory over bottom placed Inkberrow D. Shipston B did their best by defeating last but one placed Claverdon C 4-0 but remain second. A mid table clash between Inkberrow C entertaining Moreton B resulted in Inkberrow overcoming Moreton 3-1.
Snitterfield opened up a 7 point gap as leaders of Division Five after they blew away mid-table HDA B of Redditch 4-0 in a straight sets victory. Henley B go second with a comfortable straight sets win over bottom of the table Bidford B, who also unluckily lost one of their players Paul Bruner injured while leading in their second set. The previously second placed team Alcester C slip to third as home side Henley C failed to submit their scorecard in time for this report.