Week 10 of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League for South Warwickshire area and parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, saw Stratford-on-Avon move to 15 points clear at the top of the Premier Division and are almost out of sight after another 4-0 win this time over bottom side Inkberrow. Meanwhile nearest challengers Ardencote manor were beaten 3-1 by Evesham who move to third above Henley on sets difference. Both are on 21 points and trail Ardencote by only two points now. Henley enjoyed a 4-0 victory over Claverdon which leaves the latter only one point clear of the relegation zone. Their nearest rivals for the drop Littleton did themselves no harm with a great 3-1 win over Alcester.
Stratford's Callum Bailey & Chris Marrow overpowered Jim Richardson & Matt Saunders (Inkberrow) 6-1, 6-1 and beat Gordon Keir & Chris Dixon (Inkberrow) 6-2, 6-1. Tim Page & Will Moreley( Stratford) beat Keir & Dixon 6-2, 6-3 and beat Richardson & Saunders 6-6-2, 6-3.
Evesham beat previous league challengers Ardencote with a surprise 3-1 victory. John Clarke & Chris Francis (Evesham) began by losing to Ben Summers & John Brain (Ardencote) 2-6, 6-7, but then beat Phil Silk & Christian Hardy (Ardencote) 6-4, 6-1. Heroes for Evesham were Andy Crowther & Simon Wall who won both their rubbers beating Silk & Hardy 6-3, 6-1 and then beating Summers & Brain 6-3, 6-2.
Henley-in-Arden continued their winning ways with a good 4-0 win over a Claverdon team struggling for consistent form. Neil Supperstone & Jon Hunt (Henley) beat Pete Thomas & James Courier (Inkberrow) 6-2, 7-6 and beat Richard Butler & Andy Ashley (Claverdon) 6-1, 6-3. Brett Mackay & Sam Turner (Henley) beat Butler & Mackay 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) on a championship tie-break and then defeated Thomas & Courier 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-4) in another close match.
In the final Premier match Littleton surprised Alcester with a 3-1 win. Littleton opened with a defeat as their pair Richard Herborn & Simon Blewitt lost to Oliver Allman & Matt Poole (Alcester) 4-6, 2-6, but then beat Arthur Bennett & James Morley-Cottrell 6-1, 6-0. The Littletons coaching pair of Sean Witheford & Dave Rudge proved too strong for both Alcester pairs beating Bennett & Morley-Cotterell 6-1, 6-1 and then Allman & Poole 6-0, 7-6.
Division One again had only two fixtures this week with both leaders Studley A and sixth placed Shipston-on-Stour having no matches. Studley A nevertheless held onto the lead on 20 points but had their lead cut to just two points by sister side Studley B when they comfortably beat fourth side Snitterfield 4-0. Third placed Pershore drew with fifth placed Aston Cantlow 2-2.
In Division Two there was a plethora of matches with a late result seeing leaders Moreton-in-Marsh A drawing 2-2 with Bidford A but beating Redditch side HDA A 4-0 in their scheduled match to open up a ten point lead at the top. Whitnash stay second just ahead of Stratford B on sets difference only when both teams drew their matches 2-2, Whitnash with Alcester B and Stratford B with Claverdon B. Finally, in a previously rained-off match bottom side Claverdon B managed to draw 2-2 with mid-table Bidford-on-Avon A.
Division Three saw Ardencote B stay five points clear at the top with 21 points despite a 2-2 draw with bottom team Chipping Campden B. This was because second side Inkberrow B were also held to a 2-2 draw by third team Wildmoor Spa A. Ilmington did their cause to avoid no harm when they well beat FISSC 4-0 and have now caught them on 12 points each.
In Division Four leaders Henley-in-Arden B hold six point lead after they beat the second positioned team Claverdon C 3-1. Third placed Studley C took advantage to close the gap on Claverdon C to just a solitary point after they had a good 4-0 win over fourth placed Snitterfield B. Alcester C beat Chipping Campden C 3-1. Littleton B had no match this week.
Finally, in Division Five where leaders HDA B of Redditch stay one point clear on 29 points by beating Wildmoor Spa B 4-0. Challengers Pershore B kept up the pressure with their 4-0 victory over bottom side Inkberrow D 4-0. Third team Inkberrow C on 22 points had no match but fourth placed Moreton-in-Marsh B were unable to move up after they were well beaten 3-1 by Bidford-on-Avon B.