Dramatic ending

Results in recent weeks have conspired to make the final week of the season a dramatic one, and so it proved. Relegated FISSC lost 4-0 to a rejuvenated Stratford B team, who have finished the season strongly.

Second placed Tanworth visited Henley and a battle developed between the first pairs. Summers and Ross, for Henley, took the first set 6-1 against brothers Harry and Richard Littlechild. Harry and Richard fought back and in a match of high quality took the next two sets 6-4, 7-5. They also won their second match but, despite battling hard, Tanworth's other pair went down, leaving the match a 2-2 draw.

Littleton could also only draw in their match in hand against Alcester. Again a very close match with some very good tennis played. This set up nicely the final match of the season at Littleton where the visitors were Studley, who have led the table for most of the season.

Before the match started the situation was delicately poised, with any of three teams still in a position to win the league. A 4-0 win for Littleton would mean they would take it, a draw or better for Studley and the title would be theirs. A 3-1 win to Littleton would have left Littleton, Studley, and Tanworth all tied on 29 points. If that occurred then Tanworth would take it on the results of the head to head matches between them over the season! Everything to play for then, and, with one of his players pulling out late, Studley's captain Clive Dalton took the decision to play his strongest players together to go for the two points needed. This was Clive himself and Dave Innes, and the decision proved spot on as they won both their matches. Their other pairing lost, leaving the result 2-2, and giving Studley the title by one point.

The final table was: Studley 30 points, Tanworth 29, Littleton 28, Stratford B 28, Alcester 24, Henley 21, FISSC 7. Very close indeed at the top and, with only 9 points separating first and sixth place, hard luck on Henley who go down along with FISSC.