U18 County Cup Boys Report
Team – Sam Knowles, Denis Lapping, Andrew Hunsley, Steven Wilkinson, Mark Alexandrov, Ben Beard, Dan Burn.
Day 1 vs Wiltshire won 7-2
Great win for the boys today. Player of the day went to Andrew Hunsley with 2 wins out of 2 and coming back from a set down to grab a vital win which gave the team the belief and carry the momentum to kill the tie. The boys really used Andrew's win to play through Wiltshire with some cracking performances. A special mention to Ben Beard playing his first u18 county cup, winning both his singles and doubles matches. An amazing effort and unlucky to miss out on player of the day, but it was the performance by Andrew to lift the team that won it. Overall, it is a great team effort.
Day 2 vs Nottinghamshire lost 5-4
A close encounter today against Nottinghamshire. The boys competed well and, with a little more experience in shot selection at critical times, they could have turned the tie. Everyone played their part, but the player of the day had to go to Dan Burn, stepping up to play and win his first singles match in a long, long time at this county level Dan not only contributed with his singles win but brought home a doubles win on the day too. A special mention to Dennis Lapping and Sam Knowles for their win at 1 doubles today. The energy in the performance was excellent and rewarded with a good result against an established pair.
Day 3 vs Derbyshire lost 5-3
Great start from the boys today against the top team in the group. The team started well with good energy and went 2-1 up with wins for both Mark Alexandrov and Steven Wilkinson in hard-fought 3-set matches. The performance of both boys was excellent, and they showed some real resilience and character, with a special mention to Mark Alexandrov taking his singles wins for the weekend to 3 out of 3 for the weekend. The top two players from Derbyshire seemed very strong and, unfortunately, grabbed two good wins against Sam and Denis, but the boys rallied for the doubles with Ben Beard coming in and making an impact in the second pair, just narrowly missing out in a third set tie break. Dan and Andrew were impressive in their doubles. They breezed past the 3rd pair but with the match score at 5-3, the match was over.
In conclusion, a cracking weekend for the team. The boys had a great weekend, competing in every fixture and, in the end, narrowly missing out on promotions. The group were a pleasure to take away and we look forward to next year.
Chris Whittle and Adam Boba
Northumberland 18u Boys Captains