Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club

The summer season is well underway for Herne Bay tennis club, with matches taking place in 4 different leagues. In the Kent League all 3 mens teams have played but the mens 3rd were the only team to record a win. In their 2nd match in division 8 they beat their local rivals Canterbury 6 by 4 rubbers to nil. Lionel Hoskins/Bryan Packham won both their rubbers easily and Ron Withers/Dave Clements won their 2 in championship tie-breaks. The ladies 2nd team played a very close match away to Headcorn in division 4 and despite drawing on both rubbers and sets clinched the match by 1 game. The Bay 1st pair of Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both their rubbers in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 & 6-1, 6-3 and their 2nd pair of Christine Hanson/Diana High lost both theirs but won just enough games to secure a 37-36 game win. The mixed 1st team played their 2nd match of the summer in division 1 and won 4-0 at home to Sevenoaks 1. Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers in straight sets but did require a tie-break to take the 1st set against the opposition’s 2nd pair and Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker needed a championship tie-break to beat the same pair but also won against the 1st pair in straight sets. The team have now won both matches they have played.
In the East Kent league there was a 4-0 win for the mens 1st team in division 2 away to Margate 3. Hoskins/Packham won 1 rubber in straight sets and the other, against a pair of youngsters, in a championship tie-break. Bay’s 2nd pair of Gary Smith/Ron Withers won both their rubbers very convincingly. The ladies 1st team played Broadstairs away in division 1 and lost 1-3, Pout and Parrett winning the only rubber and the mens 2nd team lost in division 2 away to Margate 2.
In the Dover and District midweek evening league there were wins for mens A, B and mixed B plus 2 draws one for the ladies and one for mixed B. The mens 1st team played Pfizer A away and Folkestone Harbour at home in division 2 and only dropped one set. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles and Alex Kazakeos/Mark Kennard beat Pfizer 8-0 and Folkestone 7-1 to ensure a very successful start to the season. Mens B were also in winning form in division 4 with a 7-1 result at home to Pfizer B. The team was Gary Smith/Bryan Packham and Jerry Loader/Dave Clements. The mixed B team also played 2 matches in division 2, the 1st at home to Canterbury C they won by 5 sets to 3 with Christine Hanson/Matt Hoffmeister winning 3 sets and Anja Stileman/Dave Clements winning 2. They then played Ash also at home and drew 4 sets all. This time the 2nd pair was Debbie Holden/Clements. The other match played in this league was the ladies team at home to Bridge and this resulted in yet another 4-4 draw. Hanson/Holden won 6-1, 6-1 & then lost 0-6, 2-6 while Parrett/High won 7-6, 6-1 & then lost 5-7, 2-6.
Finally in the Kent midweek league there were wins for the mens and mixed veterans teams. The mens travelled to Chipstead and won 4-0. Keith Clark/Gary Sims had 2 very easy wins while Hoskins/Packham won both their rubbers in championship tie-breaks. The mixed team’s match against Canterbury at Herne Bay was very competitive with the 4-0 score line flattering the home side. Beckley/Hanson won their 1st rubber in a championship tie-break and then their 2nd by 6-4, 7-6 and Clark/Gibbs had a very easy 0 and 1 win against the Canterbury 2nd pair but needed a championship tie-break to beat their 1st pair.

There were 2 Kent League matches for Herne Bay tennis club this weekend and one midweek and they all ended successfully for the club. In the mixed 1 match at home to Bexley 1 in Division 1 the 1st round started very badly for the Bay pairs of Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs and Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker when they both lost their opening sets 6-2, luckily both pairs responded well to take the 2nd sets and then closed out the rubbers with winds in the match tie-breaks. In the second round Elsden and Gibbs won easily against the Bexley number 2’s, 6-3, 6-2 but Beckley and Tucker found themselves contending another match tie-break. This time they lost 10- 5 and the overall match score was a 3-1 win to Herne Bay. In the other match at the weekend the mixed 3rd team played Bromley Wendover 3 at home in division 5 and had a very comfortable win 4-0. Nick Wibberley/Danielle Miles won 6-4, 6-2 & 6-0, 6-0 and Ina Cooke/Christine Hanson 6-2, 6-3 & 6-1, 6-1 making a very pleasing start to the season.
In the 1st midweek match of the season for the ladies they started with a win. In the 1st round the blustery conditions made it very difficult for all the players. Bay’s 1st pairing of Anne Gibbs and Gill Dickey had a fluctuating match when they lead 4-1 in the 1st set only to lose it 6-4 then in the 2nd set they again led, this time 5-0, but managed to close out the set 6-3. In the deciding tie-break they lost 10-7. Meanwhile Bay’s second pairing of Sarah Pout and Sue Toye won easily 2 and 2. In the second round Gibbs/Dickey won 6-0, 6-3 and Pout/Toye lost 6-2, 6-4. The match was tied at 2 rubbers all but the home side won by 5 sets to 4.
The Finals of the 1st ever Maidstone Open Tennis Tournament were held at LA Fitness, Maidstone on Sunday and Herne Bay had representatives in 3 finals. The veteran mixed doubles final was an all Herne Bay affair with Martin Beckley/Gill Dickey playing Keith Clark/Anne Gibbs. The match was played under a bubble in very hot conditions and after exchanging service breaks Clark and Gibbs clinched the 1st set 6-4 and then immediately went a break behind in the 2nd set. They were unable to recover the break and lost the 2nd set 6-2. In the final set the tension started to show and the standard of play dropped but Clark and Gibbs had the stronger nerves and eventually won 6-3 to take the title. Beckley then went on to team up with Graham Miles in the mens veteran’s doubles against Simon Gent and Keith Gill from Tunbridge Wells. The match was played outdoors and Beckley/Miles won a close 1st set 7-5 then dropped the 2nd 6-3. At the start of the 3rd set Gill had to retire with a pulled calf muscle making Beckley/Miles the champions. The other final involving a Bay player was the ladies doubles but this could not be played because one of the opposition was stuck in Madeira – Gibbs and Sally Holmes will have to play this at a later date.

It was a busy weekend for Herne Bay Tennis club with the climax of the winter league season and the start of the summer leagues. Two Herne Bay tennis were playing away in divisional finals, the mixed 1st team and the ladies veterans 2nd team. The mixed team travelled to Sydenham to play their 1st team in a repeat of last year’s division 1 final. The 1st round was very close with Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs just being edged out 7-6, 6-4 by the opposition’s youngsters and Martin Beckley/Gill Dickey losing 3 and 3 to the 2nd pair. In the 2nd round Elsden and Gibbs thrashed the Sydenham 2nd pair 2 and 0 but Beckley and Dickey lost 4 and 1 to their 1st pair giving Sydenham a 3-1 win. In the other final, the 2nd ladies veterans played in the division 4 final at Bromley Wendover and won by a set. Sue Toye/Debbie Holden and Christine Hanson/Diana High both won their rubbers against the Wendover 2nd pair and lost to their 1st pair, but Toye and Holden managed to take a set from them which clinched the match and title.
The summer season also started at the weekend with matches in both the Kent League and the East Kent league. In the Kent League division 4 the ladies 2nd team played Bearsted 2nd team at home and won a very close match by 6 games after they were level on rubbers and sets. Hanson/High played together for the 2nd time that weekend and won one rubber and lost one in straight sets. Bay’s other pairing of Sarah Pout/Danielle Miles, had a more topsy-turvy match with both their rubbers going to 3 sets and they won one and lost one. Eventually the teams were tied on 2 rubbers all, 5 sets all but Bay won 46 games to 40 – a pleasing start to the season! There was also a 1st match of the season in the East Kent league for both mens 1 and 2 – they had to play each other. Both teams are in division 2 this season so their 1st match has to be against each other. Luckily for mens 1 they won by 3 rubbers to 1. Lionel Hoskins and Peter Grimwood won both their rubbers for the 1st team and Bryan Packham/Gary Sims won the other 1 while Ron Withers/Dave Clements picked up the rubber for the 2nd team.

Herne Bay tennis club have had a stop-start winter season due to the appalling weather conditions we have been suffering since the autumn. Initially persistent rain caused matches to be postponed or curtailed and then the snow came and totally wiped-out any chance of outdoor tennis. Luckily since February the weather has improved enough for all the scheduled Kent League matches to have been played. The ladies 1st team have now played 2 matches and won them both by a narrow margin. In their 1st Division match away against Sundridge Park 1 they won by a set with both pairs beating the opposition’s 2nd pair and losing to their 1st The Bay pairing of Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs took a set off the Sundridge Park 1st pair to win the match. Gill Dickey/Debbie Holden were the other pair. In their other match Knoll Orpington were the opposition but they could only field one pair, who won both rubbers but couldn’t prevent Herne Bay winning by 12 games. The Ladies 2nd team have completed 3 of their division 4 matches with one win and 2 defeats. Their win was a rare triumph against any Tunbridge Wells team and they won 3-1 against their 4th team. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won 2 rubbers and Sue Toye/Diana High won one and lost one in a match tie-break. The men’s teams have also managed to play some matches with the 1st team currently holding a 100% record in division 2 for their 2 matches. They also beat a Tunbridge Wells team (their 2nd) by a set and then defeated David Lloyd, Beckenham 1 3-1 in a match that turned out to be a marathon for the Bay 1st pair of Graham Miles/Martin Beckley. They spent over 2hours beating the opposition’s 1st pair in 3 sets and then also took 3 sets to beat the 2nd pair, meanwhile Peter Elsden/Ian Cooke disposed of the 2nd pair quickly but were so cold after their long wait to play the 1st pair , they lost rapidly. The mens 2nd and 3rd teams have struggled in divisions 4 and 8 and have yet to win a match. Mens 3 did have a very close match against Sevenoaks 4 on their new clay courts. The sprightly pairing of Lionel Hoskins/Peter Grimwood, with a combined age just short of 150 years, won one rubber convincingly against much younger opposition and were unlucky not to clinch the match on games. Unfortunately our other pair dropped a set during their defeat of the 2nd pair and hence the match was lost by a set.

The matches involving Herne Bay mixed teams have also progressed slowly with mixed 1 only playing once in division 1 in 5 months. This was a 3-1 win at home against Knoll Orpington 1 with Gibbs/Elsden winning 2 rubbers and Beckley/Tucker one. The mixed 2nd team have played 2 matches in division 3 but lost them both and the 3rd team have played 2 in division 5 and won one. The match they won was at home to Bromley LTC IV and they only played one round before the rain made continuing impossible. The result at that point was that Herne Bay won by 3 games since they were tied at one rubber all. The team was Chris Hanson/Holden and Nick Wibberley/Toye who won their rubber.

In the veteran leagues the mens over 45 team have won one match and lost one in division 1. Their win came against Knoll, Orpington by a set with both pairs, Beckley/Keith Clark and Miles/Cooke both beating the 2nd pair and Beckley/Clark taking a set off the 1st pair. The ladies over 40’s team also have the same record in division 1 with 1 win and 1 defeat. They lost to Bexley by 4 games with Gibbs/Pout winning both rubbers and then followed up with a 4-0 win away to Crescent at Sidcup. The team was Gibbs/Dickey and Pout/Parrett. In the older age groups, the newly formed ladies over 60’s team beat Blackheath by 3 rubbers to one but lost to Bearsted 4-0. The team for both matches was Pout/High and Mary Gibbon/Mary Haldin. The mens over 60’s team played their toughest match 1st away to Canterbury and lost by 4 games after being level at 2 rubbers all. Gary Sims/Clark won both their rubbers but Hoskins/Brian Cooper were unable to take a set on the fast Canterbury courts. In their other 2 matches they have been successful without dropping a set. Finally Herne Bay now have an over 70’s men’s team and in the 2 matches they have played they have won 3-1. The team comprises the regular pairing of Hoskins/Grimwood and then Dave Clements with either Cyril Richards or John High. The biggest problems facing the teams in this league are injury or sometimes death and the team have already had 2 clubs concede their matches because they no longer have 4 members over 70 able to play tennis – even so it is an inspiration to other members that players can still be playing competitively in their 70’s and long may it continue.

Herne Bay members have had a lull in matches during the school holidays and also while the club closed tournament in being played. Only 2 teams played over the last few weeks. Firstly the mens veterans team played Walmer at home in the Kent League and won 4-0. The team was Keith Clark/Gary Sims and Martin Beckley/Brian Cooper. They won all 4 rubbers without dropping a set and are one match away from retaining their title. In the other match the ladies 1st team beat Broadstairs 1 3-1 at home in the East Kent division 1. Sarah Pout/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers, one in 3 sets and Christine Hanson/Debbie Holden beat the 2nd pair. The ladies have now played all of their matches and won 2 and lost 2 so will remain in the top division for next summer.
Lionel Hoskins has had a successful time over the last few weeks in two 75 and over Open competitions. He reached the mens doubles final of the British Grass court Championships at Wimbledon with regular partner Jack Baxter where they lost to the number 1 seeds. He then travelled to Eastbourne to compete in the South of England Championships and this time reached both the 75 and over singles and men’s doubles finals. Unfortunately he lost both finals to the number one seeds. This was the 1st defeat in 4 years at this event for him and his partner Jack Baxter. This completed an excellent season for Hoskins who won the LTA’s Frinton 75 & over doubles and the Kent 70 & over doubles titles earlier in the year. His partner for the Kent doubles was Peter Grimwood.

Matches in the Dover & District league have occupied many of the Herne Bay players over the last 2 weeks as their season has drawn to a finish. The mens A team completed their league programme in division 2 with 2 wins and are poised for promotion to the top division. They played Hythe A at home and won by 5 sets to 3, overturning an 8-0 defeat away to the same team the previous week. Then they travelled to Folkestone Harbour were they recorded a 7-1 win. The team against Hythe was Martin Beckley/Alex Kazakeos, who won 2 sets, and Graham Miles/Ian Cooke who won 3 sets. Against Folkestone Beckley partnered Miles winning all 4 sets and Kazakeos played with Bryan Packham and won 3 sets. The team won 7 matches, drew 2 and lost just 1 over the season and now await the results from other teams in the division to see if they will be promoted. Some of the A team’s success must have rubbed off on the B team because they had their 1st win of the season last week when they beat Pfizer C 7-1 at home in division 4. The ecstatic team was Gary Smith/Ron Withers and Bob Toye/Bryan Packham. The team had previously lost 4 matches and drawn 2 and have one left to play.
In the Kent League the mixed veterans team played their penultimate fixture away to LA Fitness and won 4-0. Keith Clark/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers in straight sets and were well supported by Lionel Hoskins/Sarah Pout who also won both their rubbers to give an excellent 4-0 win. The unbeaten team have one match left to play. Other teams were not so successful in this league. The mixed 3rd team had a tremendous match away to Bromley 4 in division 4 and although they lost 4-0, 3 of the 4 rubbers were decided by match tie-breaks. In the East Kent league the ladies 1st team lost out by 1 set away to Walmer in division 1. Louise Tucker/Debbie Holden won both their rubbers, one in straight sets and one in a match tie-break. Bay’s 2nd pair, Sarah Pout/Caroline Mitchell, just failed to take a set from the 2nd pair losing 6-4,7-5 and unfortunately the match was lost by 5 sets to 4. The ladies 2nd team suffered the same fate away to Canterbury in division 2 when both pairs beat the Canterbury 2nd string and lost to their 1sts. In their other match played on Sunday the team beat Broadstairs 3 by a set when the match was stopped after the 1st round by heavy rain. The team was Danielle Miles/Mary Gibbon and Mary Haldin/Pauline Pierce.
Herne Bay players were well represented in the Walmer Open Finals held on Saturday. Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey won the ladies 45 doubles for the 3rd successive year, Keith Clark partnering Bob Whitehead (Margate) won the mens 45 doubles and Clark is in the final of the mixed handicap with Sally Holmes which has yet to be played.
Junior coaching is taking place every Monday and Thursday from 10am till 12 noon at Kent Close, Beacon Road until the end of August. The 2hr sessions cost £5 per child and everyone aged 5 years upwards is welcome. For more details contact Danielle Miles on 07852 176262.

The tennis matches played by Herne Bay last week were dominated by draws. In the Dover & District league 3 of the 5 matches played ended in a draw. The mens A team travelled to Canterbury on a wet evening to play their B team in division 2 and drew 4 sets all. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles had a close 1st round against the Canterbury no.1’ s just winning 7-6, 6-3 and then followed up with a 6-2, 6-3 win against their 2nd pair. Although the Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to win a set the result stands as a draw with both sides awarded 2 points. The mens B team had the same result away to Sandwich B in division 4. Bryan Packham/Ron Withers won all their sets but the Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to take a set. Finally the mixed B team played St Margarets away in division 2 again with the same outcome. This time both Bay pairs, Sue Toye/Dave Clements and Mary Gibbon/Matt Hoffmeister, beat the oppositions 2nd pair and lost to their 1st giving both sides 4 sets all.
In the Kent League, were draws are much less common, the mens 3rd team completed a dismal season in division 7 with another close defeat, this time by just 4 games. This was the 3rd time the team had lost by a few games. Lionel Hoskins partnered club coach Nick Wibberley and they won both their rubbers, one in straight sets and the other in 3 sets. The 3rd teams 2nd pair, Dave Clements/Bryan Packham, lost one rubber in straight sets and then having led 4-1 in the final set against the opposition’s 1st pair finally succumbed 7-5. The match was tied 2-2 on rubbers, 5-5 on sets but lost by 4 games. The ladies 2nd team fared much better with a 4-0 win away to Brenchley and Matfield 1 in division 4 to complete their season with 4 wins and just one defeat by 4 games. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both rubbers in straight sets and Debbie Holden/Diana High won both with one in a championship tie-break.. Mixed 3 also had a good win in division 4 away to LA Fitness by 3 rubbers to 1. Chris Hanson/Debbie Holden won both their rubbers 6-2, 6-1 & 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 in championship tie break and Ian Cooke/Christine Hanson won the other rubber 6-0,6-2. This was the team’s 1st win of the season and they have 2 matches left to play. In the midweek league the mixed veterans team beat Broadstairs 3-1 at Herne Bay. Martin Beckley/Anne Gibbs won 2 rubbers and Keith Clark/Sarah Pout won one. The team have 2 fixtures remaining and look on course to retain their title for the 11th successive year.
Finally, club veteran, Lionel Hoskins, spent the week by the sea in Frinton playing in the 75 and over mens doubles with his regular partner, Jack Baxter and came away with the trophy. They beat Reynolds and Foster 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

Herne Bay players have strived to emulate their heroes playing at Wimbledon over the last 2 weeks with varying degrees of success. In the Kent league matches none of the teams were able to record wins although some came desperately close. In division 1 the ladies 1st team lost by just 1 game away to Bromley 2. Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers dropping just 10 games but the Bay’s 2nd pair just failed to win enough games to clinch the win and the team lost by 2 rubbers all, 4 sets all and 34 games to 33. It was the team’s last match of a season in which they won 2 matches and lost 3 and should maintain their place in the top division for next summer. The mens 1st team also lost by a narrow margin, 1 set, in division 2 against Tunbridge Wells 2 at home. Peter Elsden/Graham Miles won both their rubbers but dropped a set to the opposition’s 1st pair. The Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to contribute a set to the score and the team lost by 5 sets to 4. The team have one more fixture but with 3 wins they are assured of their place in division 2 for next summer. The mens 2nd team continued their dismal form in division 5 with another 4-0 defeat at home to Bexley 2. All 3 mixed teams suffered 3-1 defeats to Bexley 1, Margate 2 and Canterbury 3 last weekend and will hope to return to winning ways soon.
In the midweek Kent League the ladies team played Bearsted at home and won 3-1 in division 1. Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey won both rubbers and Sarah Pout/Sue Toye won one. Also the mixed team beat Canterbury away by 4 rubbers to nil. The start of the match was delayed due to Canterbury requiring a last minute replacement for one of their players who was ill on the morning of the match. The late start did not disturb the Herne Bay team’s concentration and Martin Beckley/Gill Dickey and Anne Gibbs/Keith Clark won all their rubbers in straight sets to continue the team’s long term unbeaten record. There was only one match in the East Kent league due to 2 matches being conceded and in this the ladies 2nd team lost at home to Sellindge by 3 rubbers to 1 in division 2. Anya Stileman/Denise Parrett won the only rubber but Sue Toye/Pauline Pierce played for 5 hours losing out in both rubbers in a 3rd set by 6-7/6-3/5-7 and 6-2/5-7/5-7. An exhausting afternoon’s tennis on a very hot day.
In the Dover & District league mens A beat Hythe B by 6 sets to 2 at home in division 2, Graham Miles/Martin Beckley won all their sets and Ben Clacy with an injured Alex Kazakeos won 2 sets. The team have won 5 out of 6 matches with 3 left to play and look on course for promotion to the top division. Mens B played Walmer D in division 4 and lost 2-6, Ron Withers/Bryan Packham won the 2 sets. The ladies team beat Hythe by 7 sets to 1 at home. Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won 4 sets and Diana High/Liz Harvey won 3. The team have now won 2 matches and lost 2 with 2 left to play. Finally the mixed A team played Bridge A away in division 1 and had an excellent 2nd win of the season

At last we have had some good weather at the weekend which has allowed Herne Bay tennis teams to play all their scheduled matches. In the Kent league mens 1 had an excellent, if surprising, win away to Sevenoaks 1 in division 2. The Bay team was missing 2 key players but still managed a win by the narrow margin of 3 games. Martin Beckley/Peter Elsden beat both Sevenoaks pairs without dropping a set and Stephen & Christopher Hanson managed to win enough games by taking the 1st pair to a tie-break, to secure the win. This was the team’s 3rd win of the season and means that they will definitely stay in division 2 for next season. The mens 3rd team travelled to David Lloyd tennis centre at King’s Hill to play their 1st team in division 7 and lost 3-1. The team are finding this division very difficult and have yet to win a match. The ladies 2nd team had an excellent 3-1 win away to Blackheath 3 in division 4. They played on grass courts for the 1st time this season but adapted much quicker to the unfamiliar surface than their opponents. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both rubbers and Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson won 1. Mixed 1 played their 1st match of the season in division 1 also away to Blackheath 1 but due to problems finding a 2nd lady they could only field 1 pair. Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs made the long journey to Blackheath knowing that as soon as they dropped a game the match was lost but undeterred they enjoyed playing on grass and won both rubbers dropping just 8 games. This was of course the margin by which they lost the match. Hopefully in their remaining 4 matches they will be able to field a full team. In the East Kent League the ladies 1st team played Hythe at home in division 1 and won 3-1. The match was extremely long with 2 rubbers going to championship tie-breaks. In the 1st round Sarah Pout/Caroline Mitchell lost to the Hythe 1st pair 6-7, 6-4, 14-12 and then beat their 2nd pair 7-6, 6-1, while Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson won their 1st round in a championship tie-break and took advantage of their opposition being totally exhausted to win their 2nd rubber very easily. Mens 1 travelled to Hythe to play their 2nd team and lost by one set. Both Bay pairs lost their 1st round rubbers as they tried to adjust to the unfamiliar grass courts and then won their 2nd round rubbers. Alex Kazakeos/Nick Wibberley played 2 championship tie-breaks winning 1 and Lionel Hoskins/Dave Lawrence lost in straight sets and then won in a championship tie-break. Overall they lost by 5 sets to 6. Finally in the Dover & District there were wins for mens A and mixed A and a draw for Mens B. The Mens A match was at home to Pfizer B in division 2 and Martin Beckley/Ben Clacy won all their sets and Graham Miles/Dave Lawrence won 2 to give an overall win by 6 sets to 2. Mixed A recorded their 1st win of the season with a 5-3 defeat of Hythe 1 at home in division 1. Graham Miles and Christina Bell drew 1-1 against their 1st pair and beat their 2nd pair 2-0. Anne Gibbs/Greg Pearson won 6-2, 6-3 against the 2nd pair. The mens B team recorded their best result of the season when they drew 4-4 on sets away to Pfizer C in division 3. Both pairs, Gary Smith/Bob Toye and Matt Hoffmeister/Dave Clemence, won 2 sets each.

In the Kent League Herne Bay ladies 1st team secured their place in division 1 for another year with their 2nd win of the season. They beat a depleted Knoll, Orpington 3-1 at home. Knoll were only able to send one pair for the match and Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs beat them in a championship tie-break while Sarah Pout/Debbie lost to them in 2 close sets. Mens 1 also celebrated their 2nd win of the season against the same club in division 2. They had to travel to Knoll to play their 1st team. Both pairs, Martin Beckley/Graham Miles and Peter Elsden/Chris Hanson, beat the opposition’s 2nd pair in straight sets and lost to their 1st pair but because Beckley and Miles lost in a championship tie-break they clinched the match by one set. Two other team were also involved in close matches – ladies 2 and mens 4. Ladies 2 lost at home to Gravesham 1 in division 4 by 4 games and mens 3 lost at home to Bexley 3 in division 7 by 6 games. In the midweek league the mens veterans team had another win, this time 3-1 away to Bearsted. Gary Sims/Keith Clark won both their rubbers very easily and Brian Cooper/Lionel Hoskins won 1 rubber in a championship tie-break. In the East Kent league the mens 2nd team had a very easy win against Gore Court at home in division 3. The team was Bryan Packham/Gary Smith and Andy Cannon/Charlie Jacklin and they were far too strong for the inexperienced Gore Court youngsters. Several matches were also played in the Dover & District league with 2 wins and 2 defeats. The mens A team beat Canterbury B by 6 sets to 2 at home in division 2 with Beckley/Miles winning all their sets and Alex Kazakeos/Ben Clacy winning 2 sets. The ladies also beat a Canterbury team at home by the same score. Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won 4 sets and Anya Stileman/Diana High won 2 sets. This was the ladies 1st win of the season. In the other 2 matches both mixed teams lost, the A team to Canterbury B in division 1 and the B team to St Margaret’s in division 2