Stratford get back on track with victory over Alcester
STRATFORD reasserted their dominance of Wildmoor Spa Tennis League with an emphatic 4-0 win at Alcester.
Nearest challengers Chipping Campden had a 4-0 walkover as Redditch failed to field a team.
Fourth-placed Ardencote Manor went down to a surprise 3-1 defeat to Pershore, while, Henley moved up to join Ardencote on 18 points after Henley drew 2-2 with Alcester B.
A comfortable victory saw Stratford’s Callum Bailey and Cameron Malik overcome Alcester A’s Stuart Beach and Charlie Weston 7-5, 6-2 and then Pete Watson and Barney Williams 6-4, 6-4.
Pieter Uys-Barnard and Max Hurtubise defeated Watson and Williams 6-3, 6-4 and then squeezed out Beach and Weston 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 on a tie-break.
Chipping Campden were disappointed not to have a game after Redditch were unable to field a team.
As a result, Redditch lost the match 4-0, were docked a further two points and fined £10 for not fulfilling their fixture.
After losing their first six matches of the season, Pershore have now won three on the trot and last week reversed their early result against Ardencote Manor to record a 3-1 win.
Mike Langston and George Southall beat Ben Summers and Pete Thomas 6-2, 6-2 and then had a walkover as Ardencote could only field one pair.
As a consequence of this, Ardencote were docked a further point as punishment.
Pershore’s Jon Guppy and Ollie Dando also had a walkover but then lost to Summers and Thomas 6-7, 4-6.
Littleton A are now five points clear at the top of Division One following a 4-0 drubbing of fourth-placed Alcester C (16).
Although Evesham A enjoyed a good 3-1 win away at Ardencote B as two of the rubbers went to tie-breaks.
However, the result lifted Evesham into clear second spot with 25 points. Third placed Moreton-in-Marsh A had a more straight forward victory, 3-1 at home to Stratford B.
Lastly, bottom-placed Inkberrow A (12) had an unlikely 3-1 win over mid-table Studley A (15), but only after seeing no less than three of the four rubbers played go into a championship tie-break.
Division Two leaders Claverdon A now enjoy a seven-point lead with 29 points at the top of their table.
They comfortably defeated fourth-placed Snitterfield A (20) by a 4-0 score.
The closest match was between second-placed rivals Shipston A and Chipping Campden B, which saw Shipston eventually emerge 3-1 victors.
Henley B now join Snitterfield A and Campden B in joint equal 20 points apiece, after they celebrated a 3-1 win over Claverdon B.
At the lower end of the table, FISSC beat Inkberrow B by three rubbers to one.
Pershore B and Warwick, each with 26 points, stay joint leaders in Division Three, despite both being held to a 2-2 draws by Redditch B (20) and Snitterfield B (18) respectively.
Third-placed side Bidford A (21) also drew 2-2 with fifth-placed Studley B (19).
In the last match between the bottom two teams Inkberrow C (14) beat Redditch C 4-0. Redditch have yet to score a point.
Division Four is led by Shipston B with 26 points. They managed a close 3-1 victory over mid-table Bidford B (17).
Joint second with 22 points are Chipping Campden C and Evesham B after they drew 2-2.
Fourth side Wildmoor A (18) lost 4-0 to bottom team Claverdon C (12) and this win lifts them off the bottom of the table.
Mid-table Tysoe beat new bottom side Aston Cantlow 3-1.
In Division Five, leaders Stratford C marched on with another 4-0 victory this time over Henley C.
Second-placed Wildmoor B (21) also enjoyed a 4-0 win over foot-of-the-table Moreton C.
In the final league fixture, third-placed Moreton-in-Marsh B beat Inkberrow D 3-1.
