Page and West dominate as Stratford stroll to victory
WEEK six of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League saw the table begin to open up in the premier division.
Stratford-on-Avon continued to dominate, completing a comprehensive 4-0 straight sets triumph over Moreton in Marsh, who drop a place with this result into the bottom two.
Alcester similarly disposed of bottom-placed Claverdon 3-1 to stay second, four points behind. Evesham pulled equal third following their 4-0 victory over Henley-in-Arden.
Lastly, Studley moved up to equal fifth with Henley after they defeated joint third placed Ardencote Manor 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 and Greg Stotesbury (Moreton) 6-1, 6-1, and then beat Chris Elliott and Gary Jackson (Moreton) 6-1, 6-0.
Callum Bailey with new partner Richard Monk also took maximum points beating Elliott and Jackson 6-0, 6-3, and then Lomas and Stotesbury 6-2, 6-1.
Alcester lost ground despite a 3-1 win over Claverdon. Tim Kenneally and Tom Watson (Alcester) beat Carsten Astheimer and James Courier (Claverdon) 6-2, 7-6, and beat Andy Ashley and Rob Summers (Claverdon) 6-3, 6-2.
Sam Hawker and Tom Edmunds Alcester) beat Ashley and Summers in a tight rubber 7-6, 6-7, 1-0 after a championship tie-break decider, but lost to Astheimer and 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 and Chris Francis (Evesham) beat Brett Mackay and Craig Mander (Henley) 6-3, 6-1, and beat Louis Walsh and Alex Didlick (Henley) 6-0, 6-0.
Julian Heath and Simon Wall (Evesham) beat Walsh and Didlick 6-0, 6-2, and beat Mackay and 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 and Mark Willmore (Studley) had to fight hard to overcome Ben Summers and Pete Thomas (Ardencote) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 only after a championship tie-break decider.
They then went on to beat Tom Holland and Phil Silk (Ardencote) 6-2, 6-3.
Martyn Richards and David Dougles (Studley) beat Holland and Silk 6-3, 6-3, and just defeated the unlucky Summers and Thomas 7-6, 6-4.
HDA Redditch still top the division one table with 20 points after beating mid-table Whitnash 3-1.
With this they have opened up the biggest lead in the league of eight points.
Snitterfield, with 12 points, stayed second but dropped back after they were held to a 2-2 draw by mid-table Pershore.
Studley B entertained Alcester B 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 4-0.
Chipping Campden A (17) are the second-placed team and they defeated fourth placed Snitterfield B (10) 3-1.
In third lie Inkberrow A, and they consolidated their position with a 4-0 win over Claverdon B.
The bottom two teams met with Studley C emerging 4-0 victors leaving Aston Cantlow still pointless.
Once again, division three saw a change on the leaderboard as Shipston A retook the top spot from Henley B.
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 who, thanks to this result moved up to fourth place.
Alcester C retain third place following their 4-0 victory over HDA B Redditch. Inkberrow B retained fifth position by defeating Claverdon C 3-1.
Division four leaders Pershore B stretched their lead to six points thanks to a valuable 4-0 win at Moreton-in-Marsh B.
Second-placed 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 4-0.
Littleton B jumped off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone by beating the penultimate side Moreton-in-Marsh C 3-1.
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, while Warwickshire County Council went down 3-1 to fifth-placed Bidford B.
Wildmoor Spa B are lying fourth following their 3-1 victory over Shipston B.
