The event is run on a knockout basis, so it was do or die for the Charnwood team in a match contested over two rounds of mixed doubles involving two pairs per team.
The Charnwood lineup was very similar to that which had contested the older age group, with captain Kevin Leck reunited with Claire Elkington, and Mary Nevill partnered this time by former Warwickshire over-35 player Paul Maguire.
The Congleton team was a lot younger on average, with Cheshire over-60 player Jeannette Walker, very much the senior figure, playing alongside big-hitting 45 year old Matt Parker, and 44 year old Mark Smith partnering his wife Lynsey, also 44.
In the first round, the top two pairs faced off, with Maguire and Nevill giving a good account of themselves in the first set before Parker and Walker took it 6-4. A blow to the head of Nevill from one of Walker's mighty strikes then broke the rhythm of the legendarily tough competitor for a while, and Congleton eased to victory 6-1 in the second set.
On the other court, Leck and Elkington took on the Smiths, and heaven knows they were miserable as Mark and Lynsey took the first set 6-2. Mark's height and reach at the net, along with his excellent left-handed serve, allied to Lynsey's own precise serving and solid groundstrokes made life tough for the Charnwood pair.
To their credit they battled back in the second set with some solid defence and varied shots, and might have won the set had they not twice lost Elkington's serve from 40-0 up. In the end the Congleton pair edged the set 7-5 to take the win.
By this stage an overall win was extremely unlikely for Charnwood, but nonetheless both pairs put in a massive effort in the second round.
Maguire and Nevill engaged in a titanic tussle with the Smiths, utilising their mobility and sharpness to unsettle the home pair. The first set went 6-4 to Maguire and Nevill, but in the second they were unable to hold on to Maguire's serve at 4-5 as the Smiths levelled the match at one set all.
The ensuing 10-point deciding tie-break was a microcosm of what had gone before, with the Charnwood pair leading early on, before being pegged back and ultimately edged out by the home partnership 10-8 in a compelling conclusion.
Leck and Elkington were initially blitzed by the heavy serving and aggressive topspin forehands of Parker, losing the first set 6-2. Nonetheless, they retained their self-belief, and, aided by some remarkable defensive counterhitting from Elkington and some trademark spins from Leck they took the second set 6-4.
It was all to play for in the deciding tie-break, but a couple of unfortunate very narrow misses early on gave Congleton the lead. This reduced the scoreboard pressure and helped Parker to relax, and Congleton ultimately swept to a 10-2 victory.
Charnwood were therefore eliminated by a 4-0 scoreline, but captain Kevin Leck was once again extremely pleased with the fight shown by his team in a tough away match against players who were mostly from a younger age group.