Week 12 of the season for the South Warwickshire Summer Tennis League saw the relegation issues settled for the Premier Division if not the league title. Stratford-on-Avon had their lead cut to six points topping the table with 38. This is because while they only managed a 3-1 win over third placed Alcester (25 pts), second placed Littleton moved on to 32 points thanks to a 4-0 victory over fourth placed Evesham (22). A convincing 4-0 win by Claverdon over Shipston-on-Stour confirmed Shipston's relegation. Henley-in-Arden took some advantage of Evesham failing to register a point when they drew 2-2 with bottom side Chipping Campden and in doing so joined Evesham and Claverdon in equal fourth place on 22 points. This result also confirmed Campden's drop to Division One.
Alcester opened well against the champions and their pair Stuart Beach & Will Morley-Cotterall recorded a 6-4, 6-1 win over Cameron Malik & Richard Monk (Stratford). However, they lost to Tim Page & Simon West (Stratford).5-7, 1-6. Meanwhile Alcester's other pair Tim Kenneally & Tim Price lost to Page & West 3-6, 4-6, and lost to Malik & Moreley-Cotterall 3-6, 1-6.
Littleton are producing a string of good results, no more so than in this victory over Evesham. Mike Crooks & Simon Blewitt (Littleton) beat Simon Wall & Paul Everett (Evesham) 6-3, 6-1, and beat Chris Frances & Ray Foster-Morison (Evesham) 6-2, 6-0. Richard Herborn & Dave Rudge (Littleton) beat Frances & Foster-Morison 6-4, 6-2, and beat Wall & Everett 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6).
Henley, despite being held to a draw by Campden, were responsible for sending the latter tumbling down to Division One next season. Josh Thompson & Julian Ashton (Campden) lost to Neil Supperstone & Sam Turner (Henley) 5-7, 0-6, but beat Max Rettallack & John Hunt (Henley) 7-6, 6-3. Geoff Vaughan & Mark Jepson (Campden) beat Rettallack & Hunt 6-4, 6-2, but lost to Supperstone & Turner 1-6, 0-6.
Claverdon finally escaped the clutches of relegation and in doing so doomed Shipston with this 3-0 result. James Courier & Pete Thomas (Claverdon) beat William Welch & Hugh Allen (Shipston) 6-0, 6-4, and beat Andy Botting & Ben Allen (Shipston) 6-3, 6-0. Captain Richard Butler & Carsten Astheimer (Claverdon) beat Botting & Allen 6-1, 6-1, and beat Welch & Allen 6-0, 6-3.
Ardencote Manor virtually guaranteed their position as Division One champions when they beat fourth placed Pershore (21 pts) decisively 4-0. They would need to lose both remaining matches 4-0 and second placed Inkberrow win both theirs 4-0 to be deposed from their top spot. Meanwhile Inkberrow, seven points behind on 26, did all they could to keep up the pressure with a good 4-0 win over lowly Aston Cantlow and leave the latter tottering on the brink of relegation with 13 points. Third placed Studley (23 pts) were held by a rejuvenated bottom of the table Bidford-on-Avon (11 pts) to a 2-2 draw. This result was a real blow to Studley's promotion prospects as they now trail Inkberrow by three points with only one match left this season. Alcester B stay on the brink of demotion with Cantlow on 13 points after Alcester had no match this week.
On to Division Two in which there were no changes to the positions of the teams. Studley \b stay top on 27 despite losing 1-3 to challengers Snitterfield A who close the gap to only four points on the leaders. Stratford B (19 pts) stay third after beating relegation threatened Whitnash (16 pts) away 3-1. Campden B stay on 18 points just above trouble having no match this week. Finally, mid-table Claverdon B beat bottom side Shipston B (9 pts) 3-1 to secure their future in the division
The Division Three title race heats up as only one point now separates the top two teams. Moreton-in-Marsh A were on 28 points but had no fixture this week enabling HDA A of Redditch to reach 27 points thanks to an important 3-1 win away to third placed Inkberrow B (22 pts). FISSC of Stratford moved clear in fourth on 20 points after they beat bottom side Littleton B (on 8 pts) 4-0 Henley B with 15 points did their best to climb out of the relegation zone by defeating Ilmington 3-1 but still trail the latter by three point.
Division Four Champions were declared to be Ardencote Manor B with 27 points after they completed yet another 4-0 victory this time over Redditch side HDA B, who are confirmed relegated to Division Five next year with only 6 points. The battle for the other promotion place rages on with Snitterfield B on 27 points and Wildmoor Spa A on 26 points both only managing 2-2 draws. Snitterfield B away to lowly Pershore B, and Wildmoor Spa A away to Alcester C. Earlier Alcester C had enjoyed a 4-0 victory over HDA A in a rain re-arranged match to bring them to their current total in fourth place of 20 points. Claverdon C with no match are still perched on the brink of relegation equal with Pershore B and both with 14 points.
Finally, in Division Five Studley C are looking favourites for the title leading by six points with a total of 30. They beat Inkberrow C 3-1 and pushed them down to fifth place with only 16 points. Chipping Campden C look a good bet for the second promotion spot on 24 points, five clear of third placed Bidford B (19 pts) who had no match this week. This is in spite of Campden suffering a blow when they were well beaten 4-0 by fourth placed Henley C (17 pts). In a basement battle Wildmoor Spa B defeated Moreton-in-Marsh B 3-1 and both sit at the bottom of the table with 15 points each.