A spectacular weekend of success by Northamptonshire juniors was almost topped off by a promotion for the county’s senior ladies at Beckenham on Tuesday.
Having beaten Bedfordshire 8-1 on Sunday and Wiltshire 7-2 in the scorching heat on Monday, Amie Norman’s eight-strong squad were narrowly pipped to Group 6A promotion on Tuesday, when they fell 6-3 to Northumberland.
Northants men, playing from Monday to Friday this week at the North Oxford club, picked up after an opening day 6-3 loss to Oxfordshire by inflicting the same score on Northumberland on Tuesday and they still had Devon, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire to meet, still hanging onto hopes of promotion from Group 6.
Kicking off the roll call of county junior success was the 14U team from Corby LTC.
Coached by James Buswell, it consisted of three Northampton lads in the form of Sam Smith, Cameron Yuill and Henry Masters as well as Great Oakley’s Joe Tyler and James Caddies, from Essex.
They triumphed in the Aegon Premier League National Team Tennis finals at Roehampton, overcoming Reed’s School Tennis Academy from Surrey 8-4 before accounting for the Win Tennis (2) Academy from Buckinghamshire 7-6.
Next up were the 9U Northants team which triumphed in the Midlands County Cup at King’s Park. Coached by Kevin Hoey, the team of Isabella Lloyd, Anraj Mahil, Lottie Heaver, Sam Underwood, Henry Grayson and Daniel Bryan enjoyed wins against Nottinghamshire (6-3), Lincolnshire (8-1) and Leicestershire (6-3).
The nucleus of that side had finished second in the 10U regional championships at Corby a month ago, proving a solid foundation is being built at this age level in the county.
While the girls won all nine of their singles matches, the boys were successful in five. The partnership of Grayson/Bryan won all three doubles, as did Mahil/Lloyd. Underwood/Heaver won two of their three mixed doubles matches.
To cap it all on the Sunday, Kettering lad Grayson, who is coached at Corby, went to West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire where he won his first Grade 3 event, a 32-player event. He beat Matthew Rutter, the south west region’s number two player 7-3, 7-3 in the final.
The county women began the three-day campaign in Kent by defeating Bedfordshire with the top two pairs of Cassandra Dix/Rachel Kings and Laura Mineards/Catherine Thompson managing maximum hauls. The only loss saw Norman/Sophie Walker go down 7-5, 6-4 to the local rivals’ first pair.
Stanwick girl Dix and Burton Latimer’s Kings were particularly impressive over the three days, scooping seven wins from eight matches.
The finale with Northumberland, skipper Norman’s home county, was always going to be a tight affair with third pair Norman/Walker scoring an opening round rubber in three sets, coming from 5-2 down and saving a set point in the process before taking it 7-5.
In the second round, Dix/Kings won a close contest 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, making it 4-2 to the group champions.
Norman said: “The whole squad played a vital role in the weekend. We were able to use all eight players as Lucy Horbatowski had an opportunity to play in the final round when Rachel pulled out to rest her arm.”
Corby to stage additional British Tour event
CORBY Tennis Centre is to stage an additional Aegon British Tour event in September.
The Northants venue regularly holds a Tour week in February, but has been passed the fresh round from Loughborough University as a result of a double booking.
Dallington’s title hopes take big blow after draw at Kettering
A DISASTROUS 4-4 draw by Dallington A at Kettering B appears to have scuppered their chances of wrestling the Men’s Division One crown from County A.
Dallington could only fielded one pair for the contest, and although the pairing of Dan Pawlusek and Oli Reis won all of their sets, beating Adam Brown and Jon Burrows 6-2, 6-1 and Graeme Milligan/Jamie Hills 6-3, 6-3, the dropped points plus penalty has left them in arrears.
Latest Wilson’s Northampton League results – Men’s Division One: Abington A 2 County B 6, Kettering A 8 Dallington B 0, Kettering B 4 Dallington A 4, Northampton A 8 Rushmere A 0, Northampton B 6 County C 2, Northampton C 0 County A 8. Division Two: Dallington C 3 County D 5, Duston Utd A 5 Collingtree A 3, Duston Utd B 4 Northampton D 4, Duston Utd C 6 Ferrers 2, Roade 4 Brackley A 4. Division Three: Abington B 5 Northampton G 3. Duston Utd D 2 Abington B 6, Duston Utd E 1 LMRCA 7, Earls Barton 0 Northampton E 8, Harpole 3 Northampton F 5. Division Four: Dallington F 2 King’s Park 6, Duston Utd F 6 Collingtree C 2, Duston Utd G 0 Towcestrians 8, Heyford B 0 Northampton H 8, Rushmere B 1 Crick & W. Haddon 7.
Ladies Division One: Dallington B 4 Rushmere B 4, Dallington C 0 Abington A 8, Harpole 3 County C 5, LMRCA A 2 County B 6. Division Two: Brackley C 3 Duston Utd B 5, Earls Barton A 1 Towcestrians A 7, Wollaston 6 County D 2. Division Three: County E 7 Dallington E 1, County F 7 Crick & W. Haddon 1
Mixed Division One: County B 5 Abington B 3, County C 6 Dallington B 2, Rushmere A 0 Dallington A 8, Division Two: County D 6 Priors Marston A 2, County E 3 Harpole B 5, Northampton C 7 County E 1, Rugby B 6 LMRCA 2, Rushmere B 1 Rugby C 7. Division Three: Dallington D 7 Heyford 1, Dallington E 4 Heyford A 4, Heyford A 0 Dallington D 8.