WINTER SEASON AND BEYOND!
Winter season
The Club entered a winter high seven teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. We continued to build on our growing reputation as a coming force in Kent tennis. The club only lost one match at home all winter at fortress Park View Road.
Sundridge Park, currently Kent’s best club results wise, paid us the compliment of selecting their best teams in the three divisions in which we encountered them. Crucially all 3 matches against them were away. More about this particular pesky foe later.....
North Kent League.
Men’s 1 and Men’s 2 doubles teams both finished second in Divisions 2A & 3B respectively. The teams were thwarted by Sundridge Park (SP) 2&3. Men’s 1, enjoying excellent away support, played superbly and was a championship tie break away from a draw at SP.
Men’s 2 achieved a magnificent draw at SP to finish level on 9 points with them from their 5 matches played. In such circumstances the league winner is determined on count back of sets and/or games won in the match between the two sides. SP got first position by winning 4 more games in the 4 rubbers played. However as it was so close, there is a distinct possibility that our 3’s will be promoted to Division 2 next winter. This would be richly deserved.
Kent League.
Despite convincingly winning Division 5 in the summer, the Kent League remarkably only placed our Men’s 1 in Division 6B. Consequently all 5 matches were won with relative ease and Dami’s boys, having already secured promotion, play for silverware in a couple of weeks when they travel to Division 6A winners Chipstead. Bring the trophy home guys.
Vets 1 became the third of our teams to be thwarted by SP2. The team finished four points clear in second place in Division 3A having won 5 of their 6 fixtures. The team’s performance merited more. A 3-1 success away to Bexley 2 the undoubted highlight.
Vets 2 won two of their five fixtures to finish fifth in a highly competitive Division 4A. It was especially pleasing that both wins were against local clubs (Martin Dene and Shooters Hill).
The club fielded a Vets 3 team for the first time. Their performance in finishing third in Division 4B (two wins from the four played), confirmed the growing strength in depth of the vets squad. I predict an enjoyable summer ahead for this team – watch this space!
Finally the fledgling Men’s Over 60s were surprisingly placed in Division 2 of 4. Survival was thought to be the name of the game, but the team excelled with 3 wins from 5 to finish a creditable third. A victory at home versus second placed Tunbridge Wells was the standout result here.
Summer season
The season commences on 26th March and we will be fielding a truly remarkable 11 teams. Three men’s teams for the first time will be accompanied by our first ever midweek mixed vets team. Pleasingly there is also a mixed doubles team and I feel we are only a season away from fielding a long awaited women’s team. Three men’s vets teams, men’s over 60’s and men’s 1 additionally competing in both the Kent league and Kent AEGON tournament complete our line up.
Four of these teams have been promoted into higher divisions, following their on court achievements last summer. Consequently results may not be as good as last summer, but I believe the club can at the very least equal the three trophies won last summer.
Let the games begin!
The Club entered a winter high seven teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. We continued to build on our growing reputation as a coming force in Kent tennis. The club only lost one match at home all winter at fortress Park View Road.
Sundridge Park, currently Kent’s best club results wise, paid us the compliment of selecting their best teams in the three divisions in which we encountered them. Crucially all 3 matches against them were away. More about this particular pesky foe later.....
North Kent League.
Men’s 1 and Men’s 2 doubles teams both finished second in Divisions 2A & 3B respectively. The teams were thwarted by Sundridge Park (SP) 2&3. Men’s 1, enjoying excellent away support, played superbly and was a championship tie break away from a draw at SP.
Men’s 2 achieved a magnificent draw at SP to finish level on 9 points with them from their 5 matches played. In such circumstances the league winner is determined on count back of sets and/or games won in the match between the two sides. SP got first position by winning 4 more games in the 4 rubbers played. However as it was so close, there is a distinct possibility that our 3’s will be promoted to Division 2 next winter. This would be richly deserved.
Kent League.
Despite convincingly winning Division 5 in the summer, the Kent League remarkably only placed our Men’s 1 in Division 6B. Consequently all 5 matches were won with relative ease and Dami’s boys, having already secured promotion, play for silverware in a couple of weeks when they travel to Division 6A winners Chipstead. Bring the trophy home guys.
Vets 1 became the third of our teams to be thwarted by SP2. The team finished four points clear in second place in Division 3A having won 5 of their 6 fixtures. The team’s performance merited more. A 3-1 success away to Bexley 2 the undoubted highlight.
Vets 2 won two of their five fixtures to finish fifth in a highly competitive Division 4A. It was especially pleasing that both wins were against local clubs (Martin Dene and Shooters Hill).
The club fielded a Vets 3 team for the first time. Their performance in finishing third in Division 4B (two wins from the four played), confirmed the growing strength in depth of the vets squad. I predict an enjoyable summer ahead for this team – watch this space!
Finally the fledgling Men’s Over 60s were surprisingly placed in Division 2 of 4. Survival was thought to be the name of the game, but the team excelled with 3 wins from 5 to finish a creditable third. A victory at home versus second placed Tunbridge Wells was the standout result here.
Summer season
The season commences on 26th March and we will be fielding a truly remarkable 11 teams. Three men’s teams for the first time will be accompanied by our first ever midweek mixed vets team. Pleasingly there is also a mixed doubles team and I feel we are only a season away from fielding a long awaited women’s team. Three men’s vets teams, men’s over 60’s and men’s 1 additionally competing in both the Kent league and Kent AEGON tournament complete our line up.
Four of these teams have been promoted into higher divisions, following their on court achievements last summer. Consequently results may not be as good as last summer, but I believe the club can at the very least equal the three trophies won last summer.
Let the games begin!