Dominant Stratford march on to title
STRATFORD’S relentless pursuit of a 15th successive title was showing no signs of abating in week nine of the Wildmoor Spa Summer Tennis League.
The club secured another 4-0 victory, this time over Moreton-in-Marsh, to move them on to 33 points — 12 points ahead of nearest challengers Ardencote Manor.
Top pair Callum Bailey and Simon West beat Moreton’s Brian Lomas and Greg Stotesbury 6-0, 6-1 and beat Gary Jackson and Chris Elliott 6-0, 6-1.
Stratford’s Chris Marrow and Pieter Uys-Barnard saw off Jackson & Elliott 6-0, 6-0 and beat Lomas and Stotesbury 6-2, 7-5.
Alcester A are the new challengers, albeit 12 points behind, as they rose to joint second thanks to a 4-0 home win over Evesham.
Alex Woodbridge and Marcus Powell led the way for Alcester in a tough rubber, which they claimed over Evesham’s Andrew Crowther and Chris Francis, after a championship tie-break 6-4, 4-6, 1-0.
They then beat Evesham’s John Clarke and Julien Heath in straight sets 6-0, 6-4.
On the other court, Alcester’s Tim Kenneally and Stuart Beach beat Clarke and Heath 6-4, 6-3 and then overcame the valiant Crowther and Francis in another tie-breaker 6-4, 3-6, 1-0.
Ardencote Manor lost more ground being held to a 2-2 draw by fourth-placed Henley-in-Arden.
Ardencote’s Ben Summers and Pete Thomas beat Sam Turner and Brett Mackay 6-4, 6-3 and beat Tom Griffiths and Matt Williams 6-1, 6-4.
However, the other Ardencote pair Myles Wilcox-Smith and John Brain went down 0-6, 5-7 to Griffiths and Williams and then lost out on a tie-break to Turner and Mackay 4-6, 6-2, 0-1.
The final Premier Division match saw Alcester B improve their chance of avoiding relegation by beating the team above them, HDA Redditch, 3-1.
Matt Fielding and Will Morley-Cotterell beat Tomas Cop and Terry Iduitua 7-5, 7-6, and beat Chris Irwin & Simon Watson 6-0, 6-0.
Gareth Price and Will Smith beat Irwin & Watson 6-0, 6-1, but lost to Cop and Iduitua 0-6, 3-6.
Division One leaders Chipping Campden had their match against bottom side Snitterfield postponed due to rain.
This gave Littleton the chance to close up on them, which they did when they beat relegation threatened Claverdon with a 3-1 score and make Littleton’s total 24 points.
The joint third placed teams Pershore and Studley, with 20 points apiece, met at Studley where the hosts took the match 3-1 to move clear on 23 points in third and leave Pershore fourth on 21 points.
Finally, mid-table sides Ardencote Manor B played Stratford B and the 4-0 win to Ardencote B lifted them a point above Stratford B.
In Division Two, Inkberrow A pulled clear at the top with 28 points, following a 4-0 walkover FISSC, who were unable to field a team and have been fined and docked two league points.
Second-placed Henley B had several of their normal side away and their reserve side were unable to hold fourth-placed Shipston A who were pleased to emerge as 3-1 victors.
Alcester moved clear in third despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Claverdon B.
Finally, bottom team Studley B managed a 3-1 win over the team immediately above them, Snitterfield B. However, both are still favourites for the drop to Division Three.
On to Division Three, where the top two teams HDA B of Redditch and Chipping Campden B continue to swap places.
This week it was Chipping Campden’s turn to top the table following a successful 4-0 victory over fifth placed Warwick.
This result gave Campden B a one-point lead with 24 points over the HDA B tally of 23, as the latter were held to a 2-2 draw by third placed Pershore B.
Fourth-placed Inkberrow had their match at Aston Cantlow postponed due to heavy rain and bottom team Claverdon C had no fixture this week.
It was as you were at the top of Division Four with Bidford-on-Avon A still leading Inkberrow C by seven points.
Both enjoyed 4-0 victories, Bidford over previously third-placed Evesham B and Inkberrow over bottom-placed Moreton-in-Marsh C.
HDA C Redditch moved above Evesham, pushing them down to fourth, despite losing 1-3 to relegation threatened Moreton-in-Marsh B.
Wildmoor Spa A hosted Bidford B and the honour was shared in a 2-2 draw. This left Bidford B alongside Moreton B in the relegation zone.
At the top of Division Five there was little change as the top two teams Shipston B and Chipping Campden C had their matches postponed due to rain.
Their opponents were Tysoe and Wildmoor B respectively.
Another match postponed by rain was between the bottom two teams Inkberrow D and HDA D Redditch.
The only match that was played, produced a crucial result when third placed Warwickshire County Council played fourth placed Henley C.
County Council won the fixture 3-1 and in doing so overtook Campden C to go second with 21 points.
