Wildmoor Spa Tennis Men’s League – Week 11

Onto week 11 of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League and with only three weeks left Stratford-on-Avon are looking favourites to take their record thirteenth league title.  They currently enjoy a five points lead with 33 points and this despite being surprisingly held by equal third placed Alcester to a 2-2 draw.  Evesham at last broke their run of draws to win convincingly 4-0 against previously second placed Studley A.  This meant that Evesham regained second spot on 28 points while Studley A dropped down to equal third on 27 points along with Alcester and Ardencote Manor.  The latter moved up thanks to their straight sets 4-0 victory over Littleton (9) who now look doomed to relegation alongside bottom team Studley B (8).  The final Premier Division fixture saw sixth side Henley-in-Arden (17) defeat Studley B 3-1.

Evesham finally take back second position from Studley A with this fine 4-0 win over them.  Andy Crowther & John Clarke (Evesham) beat Mark Willmore & Paul Farmer (Studley A)  6-2, 6-4 and beat Martyn Richards & Steve Smith (Studley A) 6-1, 6-0.  Evesham captain Ray Foster-Morison & Jack Crosley beat Richards & Smith 6-2, 6-1 and just managed to overcome the challenge of Willmore & Farmer 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8).

A weakened Stratford team dropped points when held away to a 2-2 draw by Alcester.  Stratford’s regular players Callum Bailey teamed up with captain Tim Page won both their rubbers.  They beat Gary Price & Pete Watson (Alcester) 6-3, 6-1, and beat Tim Kenneally & Stuart Beach (Alcester) 6-4, 6-2.  New players drafted in for Stratford, Steve Righton & Richard Monk, lost to Kenneally & Beach 2-6, 3-6 and lost to Price & Watson 1-6, 0-6.

Ardencote moved back to joint third with this good 4-0 win over Littleton.  Ardencote captain Myles Wilcox-Smith & Christian Hardy beat Simon Blewitt & Shaun Witheford 7-6, 6-4 and beat Joe Sinclair & Chris Elliott 6-1, 6-4.  John Turner & Ben Summers (Ardencote) beat Sinclair & Elliott 6-2, 6-2 and beat Blewitt & Witheford 6-3, 6-2.

Henley drew away from any relegation worries with this 3-1 win over Studley B.  Sam Turner & Matt Williams (Henley) beat James Fitton & Ollie Smith (Studley B) 6-4, 6-1 and beat Mark Eftechiou & Vince Morrisey (Studley B) 6-1, 6-2.  Marcus Tate & Max Retallack (Henley) beat Eftechiou & Morrisey 6-1, 6-0, but just lost out to Fitton & Smith 6-4, 6-7, 0-1 (4-10) after a championship third set tie-break.

In Division One top team Moreton-in-Marsh (32) took a big step toward the title.  Firstly by defeating 4-0 third placed Pershore (23), although  Pershore made a fight of it with two rubbers going to a third set tie-break deciders.  Then in a re-arranged previously rained-off match Moreton beat Whitnash at home, 3-1.  Whitnash then moved up to fifith (15) by managing to recover in their normal weekly fixture with a 3-1 victory over previously fifth placed Inkberrow (13) and in doing so overtook their position pushing Inkberrow down to sixth and in the relegation zone.  Second placed Claverdon (25) entertained fourth placed Snitterfield (17) but lost ground on the leaders with a 2-2 draw.  Bottom placed Aston Cantlow (6) had no match this week.

In Division Two HDA Redditch A (39) maintained their five point lead with another splendid 4-0 win, this time at the expense of bottom side Shipston A (5).  Ardencote B (34) keep up their chase by beating mid-table Stratford B (17) 4-0.  With three teams to be promoted from Divisions Two, Three, Four and Five a clash between third and previously fourth placed teams Alcester B and FISSC respectively took on a greater significance.  The resulting 3-1 scoreline to Alcester B meant they now look odds on favourites for the last promotion spot with 30 points to FISSC’s 17.  The final Division Two match saw two teams battling to survive as sixth placed Chipping Campden A played the penultimate side Inkberrow B.  The resulting 3-1 scoreline to Campden, not only meant they leapt up to fourth in the table with 18 points, but also left Inkberrow B (13) looking at the drop along with Shipston A.

Snitterfield B (32) hung on to their lead at the head of Division Three following a good 4-0 win over fourth placed Henley B (24).  Claverdon B (31) stay second a point behind following their 4-0 victory over relegation threatened Chipping Campden B (16).  Studley C (25) stay third but lose ground after being held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Wildmoor Spa A (9).  Alcester C (18) moved away from relegation worries to joint fifth place with an important 4-0 win over the team sharing their place Ilmington (18).

Division Four saw change once again with leaders HDA Redditch B (32) taking the honours 3-1 over the penultimate team Bidford A (17).  However, they are still sharing top spot but no longer with Claverdon C, who lost this week, but with Inkberrow C who trounced bottom side Chipping Campden C (2) 4-0.  Claverdon C (30) fell to third after losing 3-1 to fourth placed Pershore B (24).  Littleton B (19) moved away from the relegation zone by recording a 4-0 win over fifth placed Moreton-in-Marsh B (20).

Finally, recent Division Five leaders HDA C Redditch (36) are forced to share top spot with Warwick when HDA C could only manage a 3-1 win over fourth side Wildmoor Spa B (22), while Warwick beat Inkberrow D (15) 4-0??.  Moreton-in-Marsh C (23) stay third after a good 4-0 result over bottom of the league Evesham B (9).  Finally, mid-table Bidford B (20) drew 2-2 at home to bottom but one side Shipston B (11)

Photo shows Premier Division side Evesham.  Left to Right:

Andy Crowther, Ray Foster-Morison (captain),Chris Francis  and John Clarke.