Week 9 of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League for South Warwickshire area and parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, saw Stratford-on-Avon surge to 12 points clear at the top of the Premier Table with another 4-0 win. The unfortunate receiving end of this dominant performance was third placed Evesham left trailing with 18 points. Stratford have now accumulated 34 points to second placed Ardencote Manor's 22 even though the latter also beat mid-table Claverdon 4-0. In other Premier Division results fourth place Henley now with 17 points beat relegation Littleton 3-1 and fifth placed Alcester beat bottom side Inkberrow 3-1.
Stratford's Callum Bailey & Cameron Malik beat John Clarke & Andy Crowther (Evesham) 6-1, 6-1 and beat Simon Wall & Paul Everett (Evesham) 6-1, 6-1. Tim Page & Simon West ( Stratford) beat Wall & Everett 6-1, 6-3 and beat Clarke & Crowther 6-0, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6).
In a close encounter between Ardencote and Claverdon Ben Summers & John Brain (Ardencote) beat Pete Thomas & James Courier (Claverdon) 6-2, 6-4 and beat Richard Butler & Carsten Astheimer (Claverdon) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7). Christian Hardy & Mark Cooke (Ardencote) just edged out Butler & Astheimer 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (11-9) and then squeezed past Thomas & Courier 7-6, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8).
Third placed Henley-in-Arden overcame Littleton 3-1 as their Neil Supperstone & John Hunt defeated Richard Herborn & Jack Phillpot ( Littleton) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-4). They then beat Andrew Reynolds & Simon Blewitt (Littleton) 6-2, 6-0. Mackay & Turner (Henley) lost to Reynolds & Blewitt 6-4, 4-6, 0-1 (9-11) but beat Herborn & Phillpot 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-2).
In the final Premier match Alcester proved too strong for Inkberrow defeating them 3-1. In a very close first rubber Alex Woodbridge & Tim Kenneally (Alcester) defeated Graeme Rankin & Matt Saunders (Inkberrow) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9) and beat Chris Dixon & Nick Brooke's (Inkberrow) 6-1, 6-1. Matt Poole & Oliver Alleman (Alcester) beat Dixon & Brookes 6-3, 6-4, but lost to Rankin & Saunders 1-6, 5-7.
Division One again had only two fixtures this week with both leaders Studley A and fifth placed Aston Cantlow having no matches. Studley A nevertheless held onto the lead on 20 points. Their sister side Studley B moved back up to second place on 14 points despite being held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Shipston-on-Stour. They were helped by previously second placed Pershore were beaten by Snitterfield 3-1 leaving Pershore also on 14 but trailing Studley B on sets difference. Snitterfield moved up clear in fourth with 12 points following this result.
In Division Two Moreton-in-Marsh A still head the table but have had their lead cut to 2 when Whitnash moved strongly up to second spot after a clear 4-0 win over bottom team Claverdon B in a re-arranged match previously rained off. Moreton-in-Marsh A lay on 23 points but their result against Bidford A had not been received at the time of going to press. Stratford B dropped to third after being held to a 2-2 draw by sixth placed HDA A of Redditch. Finally, fourth placed Alcester B were also held to a 2-2 draw by Claverdon B.
Division Three saw Ardencote B extend their lead at the top with 19 points following their 3-1 victory over nearest challengers Inkberrow B who have 14. Third placed FISSC and fourth placed Wildmoor Spa A both on 12 points drew with each other. Lastly the bottom two Ilmington and Chipping Campden also drew 2-2.
In Division Four leaders Henley-in-Arden B took advantage of the fact that second placed Claverdon C had no match, by claiming a 3-1 victory over Studley C. They now lead the table on 22 points with Claverdon four points adrift. Fourth position Alcester C made up ground on third placed Snitterfield B when they beat them 3-1. Littleton B defeated bottom team Chipping Campden C 3-1 but they still lie in the relegation zone.
Finally, to Division Five where leaders Pershore B, without a fixture last week, were knocked off the top by HDA B when the Redditch outfit surprisingly thrashed third placed Inkberrow C 4-0 to go a point clear on 25 points leaving Inkberrow stuck on 22. There is an 8 point gap to the fourth placed Moreton-in-Marsh B team despite their 3-1 win over Rock bottom Inkberrow D. In the final league fixture the relegation zone battle between Bidford B and Wildmoor Spa B ended in an honours even 2-2 draw.