Wildmoor Spa Tennis Men’s League Gets Underway – Week 1

The Wildmoor Spa Tennis League covering the South Warwickshire area and parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire got underway for the summer season with the strongest line up in its’ history of 48 teams in six divisions.

Champions Stratford-on-Avon surged straight to the top of the table as the only team in the Premier Division to record a 4-0 win.  These maximum points came at the expense of Alcester. Ardencote Manor and Henley-in-Arden share second place after both recorded 3-1 victories.  Ardencote’s was over Evesham and Henley’s over Studley. Finally, Claverdon and Moreton-in-Marsh are in equal fourth position following their sharing of the points in a 2-2 draw.

Stratford captain Tim Page & partner Callum Bailey had an easy task taking maximum points as they beat Tom Edmunds & Sam Hawker (Alcester) 6-1, 6-1 and then beat Tim Kenneally & Duncan Robinson (Alcester) 6-0, 6-3.  William Morley-Cotterell & Chris Marrow (Stratford) beat Kenneally & Robinson 6-3, 6-0 and then beat Edmunds & Hawker 6-0, 6-1.

Ardencote Manor were held at 1-1 at the halfway stage before coming through for their 3-1 victory.  Top pair Ben Summers & Steve Lockwood defeated Andrew Crowther & Chris Francis (Evesham) 6-2, 6-3 and beat John Clarke & Julian Heath (Evesham) 6-1, 6-4.  Christian Hardy & Pete Thomas (Ardencote) lost their opening rubber to Clarke & Heath 4-6, 6-1, 0-1 on a championship tie-break game, before recovering to beat Crowther and Francis 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 on another tie-break.game.

Henley-in-Arden also won 3-1 beating Studley but were 3-0 up before losing the final rubber.  Sam Turner & Brett Mackay overcame Martyn Richards & Damian Hampton (Studley) 6-2, 6-2 and then defeated Mark Willmore & Jack Ritchie (Studley) 6-2, 6-4.  Phil Bishop & Tom Griffiths (Henley) beat Willmore & Ritchie 6-3, 6-4, but lost out to Richards & Hampton 3-6, 0-6.

In the final Premier Division match Claverdon clawed their way back after a disasterous 0-2 start at home to Moreton-in-Marsh to eventually salvage a 2-2 draw. James Courier & Andy Ashley (Claverdon) lost to Brian Lomas & Greg Stotesbury (Moreton) 6-7, 3-6, but beat Gary Jackson & Chris Elliott (Moreton) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 after a Championship tie-break game.  Richard Butler & Carsten Astheimer (Claverdon)  lost to Jackson & Elliott 1-6, 3-6, but beat Lomas & Stotesbury 6-1, 6-2.

In Division One Pershore took the early table lead with a 3-1 win away to Whitnash.  Littleton and Studley B lay joint second after they drew 2-2.  The other two fixtures between Alcester B versus Ardencote Manor B and Snitterfield at home to HDA A Redditch were rained off and are to be played later.

Division Two saw two teams top their table with 4-0 victories.  Claverdon B enjoyed an emphatic 4-0 win away from home against Studley C, while Inkberrow A racked up a 4-0 result at home to Aston Cantlow. Stratford B lie third after their 3-1 win over Snitterfield B.  Chipping Campden A and FISSC of Stratford saw the points shared in a 2-2 draw.

Division Three results saw three teams top the table with maximum points results.  They were Ilmington who beat HDA B Redditch 4-0, Inkberrow B who beat sister side Inkberrow C 4-0 and finally, Shipston-on-Stour A who defeated Claverdon C 4-0.  The remaining fixture saw the points shared when Alcester C drew 2-2 with Henley B.

On to Division Four which had four 3-1 winners who all start at the top.  Newly promoted Warwick beat HDA C Redditch 3-1 but despite the score it was the closest match in the league as three sets went to Championship tie-break deciders.  Moreton-in-Marsh C pulled off the surprise of the week by beating their senior sister-side Moreton B 3-1.  Meanwhile, Pershore B defeated Littleton C 3-1 and lastly Chipping Campden B enjoyed a good 3-1 victory away to Wildmoor Spa A.

Finally, in Division Five Bidford-on-Avon A went top by thrashing their Bidford B side 4-0.  Evesham claimed second spot after they defeated Shipston-on-Stour B 3-1.  The other two fixtures, Chipping Campden C versus Wildmoor Spa B and HDA D Redditch versus Warwickshire County Council were rained off and will be played at a later date.

Wildmoor Spa Tennis League – 2016-07

By Corin Bishop