Wildmoor Tennis League – 2018-13 (Men’s Week 8)
By Corin Bishop
Bidford-on-Avon B Team from Division Four of the Wildmoor League. From Left to Right: Paul Crocombe, Malc. Dewsbury, Chas Morley & Colin Green.
The Wildmoor Spa Tennis League – Week 8
(Covering South Warwickshire & parts or Worcestershire & Gloucs.)
Week 8 of the Men's Wildmoor Summer Tennis League threw up a shock result as current champions and leaders Stratford-on-Avon (24) went down to a heavy 4-0 defeat to mid-table side Henley-in-Arden (16). This allowed previously second placed Chipping Campden (19) and third placed Alcester A the opportunity to close up on the leaders. However, in another surprise result Campden went down 4-0 at home to the penultimate side Pershore (11), while Alcester A (20) were somehow held to a 2-2 draw by their Alcester B Team (15). Nevertheless, this result saw Alcester A takeover second spot. Ardencote Manor A played two matches this week. First they travelled to Redditch (3) and left them rooted to the bottom of the table after Ardencote defeated them 3-1. Then the Manor team played a rearranged fixture at home against Redditch and their 4-0 victory over the Worcester side lifted Ardencote up to fourth in the table with 18 points.
Previously undefeated Stratford fielded an unfamiliar squad and paid the price when hosts Henley thrashed last year’s champions in straight sets. Henley’s Oli Didlick & Club Coach Neil Supperstone blew away Stratford’s Nacho Fernandez & Max Hurtubise 6-3, 6-3 and then made light of beating Stratford’s second pair Chris Marrow & James Smith 6-1, 6-1. On the other court Tom Griffiths & Matt Williams (Henley) beat Marrow & Smith 6-1, 6-1 and then defeated Fernandez & Hurtubise 6-3, 6-3.
Alcester A were held by their B Team to a draw. Stuart Beach & Alex Woodbridge (Alcester A) beat Gareth Price & Marcus Powell (Alcester B) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 and beat Matt Fielding & Barney Williams (Alcester B) 6-2, 6-4. Tom Edmunds & Ben Shepherd (Alcester A) lost to Fielding & Williams 1-6, 1-6 and lost to Price & Powell 2-6, 0-6.
Chipping Campden were ambushed by the visitors Pershore and as a result, the Pershore outfit took maximum points. Mike Langston & George Southall (Pershore) defeated Martyn Ledbury & Ali Johnson (Campden) 7-5, 7-5, they then beat George Richards & Tom Partridge (Campden) 6-3, 6-4. Jon Guppy & Julian Ramos (Pershore) beat Richards & Partridge 6-3, 6-2 and then just squeezed past Ledbury & Johnson 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 on a tie-break.
The final two Premier fixtures both involved Ardencote Manor A and Redditch A. In the first they defeated bottom side Redditch 3-1. The Ardencote first pair Christian Hardy & Pete Thomas started badly losing to Redditch pairing James McDonald & Ben Portman 1-6, 4-6, but they bounced back to beat Redditch’s second pair Lubo Smoliar & Harvey Ravenscroft 6-4, 6-3. Ben Summers with his captain Myles Wilcox-Smith defeated Smoliar & Ravenscroft 7-5, 6-1 and overcame McDonald & Portman only after a tie-break 4-6, 6-4, 1-0. Their second match, rearranged from earlier in the season was at home against Redditch. This proved more of a one sided affair as Ardencote’s Pete Thomas this time pairing with Jack Smith beat Ben Portman & Josh Young (Redditch) 6-2, 6-1 and beat Lubo Smoliar & Kevin Porter (Redditch) 6-0, 6-1. Meanwhile Ardencote’s Summers & Wilcox-Smith beat Smoliar & Porter 6-1, 6-1 and beat Portman & Young 6-3, 6-2.
Division One leaders Littleton A (26) and second placed Evesham A (22) moved further clear after both enjoyed 3-1 wins. Littletons was away to fifth placed Studley A (14) while Evesham’s victory was over fourth placed Moreton-in-Marsh (16). Alcester C (16) retained third position on games difference after they beat bottom placed Inkberrow A (9) 3-1. Lastly, Stratford B (14) climbed away from the relegation zone with a good 3-1 win over the penultimate side Ardencote B (11).
Claverdon A with 25 points stay top of their table in Division Two thanks to a 4-0 victory over sister side Claverdon B (10). Snitterfield A are their nearest challengers’ five points behind having been held to a 2-2 draw by fourth placed Henley B (17). Chipping Campden B lie third with 19 points following their convincing 4-0 win over bottom team Inkberrow B (8). Shipston A are also on 19 points but lie fourth on games difference after being held to a 2-2 draw by FISSC (9).
On to Division Three where the joint leaders remain Pershore B and Warwick with 24 points. Both recorded 3-1 wins over Inkberrow C (10) and third placed Bidford A (19) respectively. Redditch B with 18 points moved up to fourth thanks to their 4-0 drubbing of their sister side rock bottom Redditch C (0). Finally, in a mid-table match Snitterfield B (16) were too strong for Studley B (17) beating them 4-0.
In Division Four Shipston-on-Stour B still lead on 23 points ahead of fourth placed Wildmoor A with 18 after they shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Evesham B (20) were second and moved a point closer to the leaders after they defeated Aston Cantlow 3-1. Chipping Campden C also moved up to joint second with Evesham pushing Wildmoor A down, thanks to Campden’s 3-1 defeat of Tysoe (14). Bidford B (16) were disappointed to be held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Claverdon C.
In Division Five Stratford C with 23 points stay top but had their lead cut to 6 points. This was because while they had no match this week second placed Moreton-in-Marsh B (17) enjoyed a 4-0 win over sister side and bottom of the table Moreton C (1). Things are tightening up at the top as both Warwickshire County Council and Wildmoor B share second spot with Moreton B after both these teams took maximum 4-0 points off Henley C (11) and Inkberrow D (6) respectively.
Wildmoor Spa Tennis League – 2018-13
By Corin Bishop