Wildmoor Spa Tennis Men’s League – Week 6

Week 6 of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League saw the table begin to open up in the Premier Division.  Stratford-on-Avon (21) continued to dominate, completing a comprehensive 4-0 straight sets triumph over Moreton in Marsh (8), who drop a place with this result into the bottom two.  Alcester (17) similarly disposed of bottom placed Claverdon (5) 3-1 to stay second, four points behind.  Evesham (14) pulled equal third following their 4-0 victory over Henley-in-Arden (10).  Lastly, Studley (10) moved up to equal fifth with Henley after they defeated joint third placed Ardencote Manor (14) at home 3-1. 

Stratford first pair, team captain Tim Page, this time partnering Simon West dropped only three games in the entire match as they beat Brian Lomas & Greg Stotesbury (Moreton) 6-1, 6-1, and then beat Chris Elliott & Gary Jackson (Moreton) 6-1, 6-0.  Callum Bailey with new partner Richard Monk also took maximum points beating Elliott & Jackson 6-0, 6-3, and then Lomas & Stotesbury 6-2, 6-1.

Alcester lost ground despite a 3-1 win over Claverdon.  Tim Kenneally & Tom Watson (Alcester) beat Carsten Astheimer & James Courier (Claverdon) 6-2, 7-6, and beat Andy Ashley & Rob Summers (Claverdon) 6-3, 6-2.  Sam Hawker & Tom Edmunds Alcester) beat Ashley & Summers in a tight rubber 7-6, 6-7, 1-0 after a Championship tie-break decider, but lost to Astheimer & Courier 7-5, 3-6, 0-1 after another nail-biter.  

Evesham made a bold move up to third place following their 4-0 win over Henley-in-Arden.  Both the Evesham pairs dropped only four points each in the whole match.  Andrew Crowther & Chris Francis (Evesham) beat Brett Mackay & Craig Mander (Henley) 6-3, 6-1, and beat Louis Walsh & Alex Didlick (Henley) 6-0, 6-0.  Julian Heath & Simon Wall (Evesham) beat Walsh & Didlick 6-0, 6-2, and beat Mackay & Mander 6-2, 6-0.

In the final Premier Division match, Studley surprised Ardencote Manor when they beat them 3-1 in a close match.  Damian Hampton & Mark Willmore (Studley) had to fight hard to overcome Ben Summers & Pete Thomas (Ardencote) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 only after a Championship tie-break decider.  They then went on to beat Tom Holland & Phil Silk (Ardencote) 6-2, 6-3.  Martyn Richards & David Dougles (Studley) beat Holland & Silk 6-3, 6-3, and just defeated the unlucky Summers & Thomas 7-6, 6-4.

HDA Redditch still top the Division One table with 20 points after beating mid-table Whitnash (10 points) 3-1.  With this they have opened up the biggest lead in the league of 8 points.  Snitterfield with 12 points stayed second but dropped back after they were held to a 2-2 draw by mid-table Pershore (9).  Studley B (8) entertained Alcester B (11) but their visitors overpowered Studley 4-0  to move to third equal position alongside Ardencote B and Littleton who both had no match this week..  

In Division Two Stratford-on-Avon B, with 22 points, extended their lead to five points by thrashing mid-table FISSC (9) 4-0.  Chipping Campden A (17) are the second placed team and they defeated fourth placed Snitterfield B (10) 3-1.  In third lay Inkberrow A (14) and they consolidated their place with a 4-0 win over Claverdon B (8).  Finally, the bottom two teams met with Studley C (8) emerging 4-0 victors leaving Aston Cantlow still pointless.

Once again Division Three saw a change on the leader board as Shipston A (20) retook the top spot from Henley B (19).  This was because while Shipston managed a 4-0 home win over bottom team Inkberrow C (3), Henley B were held to a surprise 2-2 draw by Ilmington (13) who, thanks to this result moved up to fourth place.  Alcester C (17) retain third place following their 4-0 victory over HDA B Redditch (6).  Inkberrow B (11) retained fifth position by defeating Claverdon C (7) 3-1.

Division Four leaders Pershore B (21) stretched their lead to 6 points thanks to a valuable 4-0 victory away to third placed Moreton-in-Marsh B (13).  Meanwhile, second side Warwick (15) were beaten 3-1 by Chipping Campden B (13), who moved up to equal third on the back of this result.  HDA C Redditch were also climbers, up two places to become the third team with 13 points in joint third place, after they blasted bottom team Wildmoor Spa A (6) 4-0.  Lastly, Littleton B (8) jumped off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone by beating the penultimate side Moreton-in-Marsh C (7) 3-1. 

Finally, in Division Five Bidford-on-Avon A (20) stay top with another 4-0 win this time at the expense of sixth placed HDA D Redditch (10).  Trailing by six points in equal second are Evesham B and new side Warwickshire County Council, both on 14 points.  Evesham clocked up a useful 4-0 away win against bottom side Chipping Campden C (2), while Warwickshire County Council, after previously picking up points in a rain rearranged match, went down 3-1 to fifth placed Bidford B (11).  Wildmoor Spa B (13) are lying fourth following their 3-1 victory over Shipston B (8).

Wildmoor Spa Tennis League – 2016-12

By Corin Bishop