Week 3 of the South Warwickshire Summer Tennis League saw Premier Division champions Stratford continue their one hundred percent record with another 4-0 victory this time over fifth placed Chipping Campden. Both Alcester and Evesham trail Stratford by 4 points after they both enjoyed 3-1 wins. Alcester over Shipston, who celebrated their first point of the season, and Evesham over Claverdon who are sixth. Littleton go fourth with 7 points after they were 4-0 victors over bottom but one side Henley-in-Arden.
Stratford captain Tim Page together with partner Simon West began the straight sets match victory by beating Ollie Coombes & Geof. Vaughan (Campden) 6-2, 7-6 and then beat Josh Thompson & Mark Jepson (Campden) 6-1, 6-2. The other Stratford pair Callum Bailey & Chris Marrow beat Thompson & Jepson 6-2, 6-2 and beat Coombes & Vaughan 6-4, 6-0.
Alcester entertained a Shipston side who had yet to win a rubber and although they managed to chalk one up Alcester still beat them 3-1. Tim Kenneally & Alex Woodbridge (Alcester) beat William Welch & James Hudson (Shipston) 6-2, 7-5 and beat James England & Charl Joubert (Shipston) 6-0, 6-0. Matt Fielding & Will Morley-Cotterell (Alcester) beat England & Joubert 6-1, 6-1 but went down to Welch & Hudson 4-6, 4-6.
Evesham triumphed over Claverdon but the match was well fought. John Clarke & Andrew Crowther (Evesham) lost to James Courier & John Turner (Claverdon) 2-6, 3-6, but edged out Richard Butler & Pete Thomas (Claverdon) 7-5, 7-5. Chris Francis & Ray Foster=Morison (Evesham) beat Butler & Thomas 6-3, 6-2 and beat Courier & Turner 6-2, 6-4.
In the final Premier encounter Littleton played host to Henley, but showed no hospitality when they took all the honours in a very tough match. The final 4-0 score did not do justice to Henley who forced two championship tie-breaks before finally conceding. Chris Elliott & Jack Philpott (Littleton) defeated Dave Taylor & Jon Hunt (Henley) 7-5, 6-1 and then squeezed out Brett Mackay & Max Retallack (Henley) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6). Richard Herborn and Ian Smith (Littleton) overcame Mackay & Retallack 6-1, 6-7, 1-0 (11-9) and beat Taylor & Hunt 6-4, 7-5.
In Division One Ardencote Manor resumed to their maximum point victories as they overpowered bottom team Bidford-on-Avon 4-0 to go top. Inkberrow retained second spot but 5 points adrift after being well beaten by Studley 4-0, which meant that Studley moved up to joint second with Inkberrow on 7 points. Pershore lay fourth but had no match this week, while lower sides Alcester B and Aston Cantlow cancelled each other out in a 2-2 draw.
Division Two saw Studley B jump to the top of the table following their 3-1 win over Claverdon B. They were then joined at the top on 8 points by Campden B when they beat Shipston B 3-1. Stratford B are next with 7 points and a game in hand after they beat fourth placed Snitterfield A 4-0. Fifth placed Whitnash had a free week.
Moreton-in-Marsh A lead Division Three with 9 points despite being held to a 2-2 draw away to fourth placed HDA A of Redditch. Meanwhile Inkberrow B moved up to within a point in second thanks to a home 4-0 victory over Henley B. Third placed Ilmington drew 2-2 with fifth placed FISSC.
Division Four leaders by three clear points are Ardencote B after they relished their 4-0 victory over fifth placed Pershore B. Despite no fixture this week Wildmoor Spa A hung on to second spot with 7 points. Snitterfield B did pull up into third when they defeated fourth placed Alcester C 3-1, while bottom two sides HDA B of Redditch and Claverdon C shared a 2-2 draw.
Finally, on to Division Five and the closest of all the tables so far with no less than four teams tied at the top on 7 points. They are Chipping Campden C who were pulled back into this mini group by fellow leaders Studley C who beat them 3-1. Bidford B who beat bottom team Wildmoor Spa B 3-1 and Moreton-in-Marsh B who took maximum points in a 4-0 result over bottom but one side Henley C.