Stratford stay top as they sweep aside Redditch

STRATFORD remain top of the Wildmoor Tennis League after victory over Redditch A in week three.

The reigning champions cruised to a 4-0 success to record 11 points and stretch their lead over second-placed Chipping Campden A, who won 3-1 at home to Henley A.

Alcester A sit in third place with Ardencote A in fourth, Alcester's B team move up into fifth.

Stratford pair Callum Bailey and Cameron Malik were in fine form and defeated Ben Portman and Joe Morris (Redditch) 6-0, 6-2, in the first rubber and then beat Lubo Smoliar and Darren Cutler (Redditch) 6-0, 6-0.

Chris Marrow and Simon West (Stratford) beat Smoliar & Cutler 6-0, 6-1, and beat Portman and Morris 6-2, 6-1, to take all the points.

Chipping Campden A kept the pressure on Stratford by beating Henley A 3-1.

Campden had home advantage with first pair of Tom Partridge & Ali Johnson narrowly beating Henley’s Oli Didlick and Sam Turner 6-4, 7-6, and then beating Max Retallack and Brett Mackay (Henley) 6-1, 6-1.

Phil Wood and Geoff Vaughan (Campden) also won 6-0, 6-0, over Retallack and Mackay, but then lost 3-6, 6-7 to Didlick & Turner.

Third place in the Premier Division is Alcester A, who beat Ardencote A 3-1. Stuart Beach and Marcus Powell took both points for Alcester in two very close rubbers beating Christian Hardy and Ben Summers (Ardencote) 6-7, 6-4, 1-0, and beating Pete Thomas and John Brain (Ardencote) 7-5, 7-6.

On the other court, the other Alcester pair James Clemons and Sam Thruston-nend beat Thomas and Brain (Ardencote) 6-2, 6-4, but then lost to Hardy & Summers 3-6, 5-7.

In the final match, Alcester B won 4-0 at home to Pershore A with Alcester pair Marcus Powell and Alex Woodbridge beating Jon Guppy and Chris Brown (Pershore) 6-3, 7-5, and also beat Pershore’s second pair 6-0, 6-0.

Maximum points were gained as Matt Fielding and Barney Williams (Alcester) won 6-2, 7-6 to Guppy and Brown and also won 6-0, 6-4 in the other rubber.

In Division One, Stratford B maintained an early lead in the table by two points when they beat Inkberrow A 3-1.

Evesham A are second on sets difference after drawing 2-2 at Littleton A who are third.

Moreton A remain mid-table after beating Alcester C 3-1, while Studley A won 3-1 at Ardencote B.

Division Two saw a new leader in Claverdon A as they topped the table with a 4-0 home win over Inkberrow B.

Henley B, Shipston A and Chipping Campden B are in second, third and fourth respectively all on seven points with 2-2 draws between Shipston A and Henley B and Snitterfield A & Campden B. The match between FISSC and Claverdon B also resulted in a 2-2 draw.

Division Three results saw the two teams of Pershore B and Warwick at the top of the table with ten points.

Pershore B beat Studley B 3-1 to keep ahead of Warwick on games difference who beat Redditch C 4-0.

The other two matches were drawn 2-2 between Redditch B and Snitterfield B and Inkberrow C and Bidford A.

In Division Four, Shipston B, Wildmoor Spa A and Evesham B all top the table on nine points.

Shipston B won 3-1 at Tysoe, Wildmoor beat Aston Cantlow 4-0, while Evesham B beat Claverdon C 4-0.

In the final match, Bidford B beat Campden C 3-1 and remain mid-table.

Stratford C moved to the top of the Division Five table by beating Inkberrow D 4-0 after having no match in the first week.

Wildmoor Spa B are in second place thanks to a 3-1 away win against Henley C.

Warwickshire CC move up to mid-table following a 4-0 success at Moreton C.