At the Halfway stage of the season for the Wildmoor Summer Tennis League, sponsored by Bannatyne Health Club & Spa and covering South Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, Alcester A still head the Premier Division Table. They now have 24 points, but second places Pershore (20) held them to a 2-2 draw. Last year’s champions Stratford (18) suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of fifth placed Littleton (13) going down 4-0. Chipping Campden (17) retained fourth place with a 3-1 win over penultimate side Evesham (7). Finally, Alcester B (9) stay away from the relegation zone despite being held to a 2-2 draw by bottom team Henley-in-Arden (2).

Alcester A had to field a weakened second pair against challengers Pershore and it cost them two rubbers. However, even the first pair, were forced to fight all the way before triumphing in both their rubbers against stubborn Pershore resistance. Stuart Beach & Sam Thruston-nend (Alcester A) just defeated Mike Langston & Matt Sime (Pershore) after a hard fought championship tie-break 6-4, 3-6, 1-0. They had to endure another three-setter before overcoming Steve Bauer & Jon Guppy (Pershore) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0. Alcester second pair Marcus Powell & Duncan Robertson lost to Bauer & Guppy 7-6, 2-6, 0-1 and lost to Langston & Sime 6-7, 1-6.

Current champions Stratford-on-Avon were dealt a blow by a Littleton team dominated by the Witheford Family who made up three of Littleton’s four players. Sean & Ali Witheford (Littleton) had to fight hard to beat Chris Welland & Nacho Fernandex (Stratford) 6-7, 6-1, 1-0 after a championship tie-break, but then defeated Alaistair Orchard & James Smith (Stratford) 6-2, 7-5. Craig Witheford & Richard Herborn (Littleton) overcame Orchard & Smith 6-2, 7-5 and then beat Welland & Fernandez 6-4, 6-3, to dent Stratford’s ambition.

Chipping Campden retained fourth place in the Premier Division this time by beating penultimate team Evesham 3-1. Tom Partridge & Tobias Kemp (Campden) squeezed past Evesham’s Andrew Crowther & David Hubbard 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 on a tie-break. They then just defeated Wall & Everatt (Evesham) 7-5, 7-5. George Richards & Chris Davis (Campden) went down in three sets to Wall & Everatt 6-3, 6-7, 0-1, but bounced back to beat Crowther & Hubbard 6-2, 7-6.

Just above the bottom of the table, Alcester B took on bottom side Henley-in-Arden and shared a 2-2 draw. Both Alcester pairs won and lost rubbers. Matt Fielding & Gareth Price (Alcester B) lost to Tom Griffiths & Matt Williams (Henley) 3-6, 3-6, but beat Max Retallack & Brett Mackay (Henley) 6-3, 6-3. Tom Edmunds & Duncan Robinson (Alcester B) beat Retallack & Mackay 6-1, 6-3, but lost to Griffiths & Williams 3-6, 2-6.

In Division One, with previous leaders Ardencote Manor (19) having no match this week, Redditch (21) took over at the top  thanks to a 4-0 victory over Alcester C (7). Moreton-in-Marsh (12) travelled to Claverdon (10) and returned with a 2-2 draw. This saw both sides drop a position to fourth and fifth respectively. Lastly, Stratford B earned a good 4-0 away result against Shipston-on-Stour (1) which lifted the Stratford side up to third in the table.

Inkberrow A (21) managed to retain top spot in Division Two after they recorded a convincing  4-0 win over bottom side Henley B (6). Pershore B (18) are hot on Inkberrow A’s heels but drew 2-2 with Chipping Campden B, leaving the latter in sixth place with 12 points. Snitterfield A (18) moved up to joint second after claiming a 3-1 win over fifth placed Warwick (14). Mid-table Ardencote B (16) beat penultimate side Claverdon B (7) 4-0.

In Division Three Bidford-on-Avon A (24) march on as clear leaders following a 3-1 victory over joint bottom Evesham B (8). Shipston B (16) dropped to third after they could only manage a 2-2 draw against joint fifth placed Inkberrow B (12). Redditch B (17) proved worthy victors over basement team Inkberrow C (8) and moved up into second place. Studley B jumped up to third equal with Shipston on 16 points after beating Chipping Campden C (10) 4-0. Campden only fielded one pair and was penalized with a point deduction for this offence.

A clash at the top of Division Four between Stratford C (28) and Wildmoor A (19) saw Stratford open up an 8 point gap at the top following a 4-0 victory over Wildmoor A who slipped to third place. This gave Redditch C (20) a chance to make the move to second, which they did by beating penultimate team Tysoe 4-0 in straight sets, leaving Tysoe in the relegation zone on only 6 points. Fourth side Aston Cantlow (13) drew 2-2 Warwickshire County Council (9). Meanwhile Moreton-in-Marsh B (12) beat bottom team Bidford B (5) to stay in fifth place.

The big match up in Division Five was between the top two teams Pershore C and Claverdon C. Before the match began Pershore were leading Claverdon (18) by 4 points. Afterwards the gap was 10 points thanks not only to their 4-0 triumph over Claverdon C, but also by winning two rained off rubbers against Wildmoor C from earlier in the month, which also completed a 4-0 win. This all meant that Pershore C now lead the table with a total of 28 points. Meanwhile third placed Wildmoor B (21) disposed of lower table Moreton C (8) by a convincing 4-0 scoreline and in doing so moved up to second to become the new challengers. A mid-table clash meeting between Wildmoor C (14) and Littleton B (11) resulted in a 2-2 draw. Finally, fifth placed Henley C (9) beat bottom side Shipston C (3) 4-0.