Essex Ladies won Group 2 of the LTA Winter Indoor County Championships at Nottingham, securing them promotion back into the top flight for next year.

At the weekend the team opened with a match against Sussex and won by the narrowest of margins. They drew the singles 3-3 with Janice Torr from Billericay winning 6-3, 6-4.

The first two of the doubles were shared and it was Catherine Norman of Clearview and Zoe Mellis who were still on court in the decider.

They led 5-2 in the final set only to be pulled back level. They finally won the rubber and the match for Essex 7-6 in that final set.

On day two the team met Yorkshire and again won by the narrow margin of 5-4. For this match Helen Crook had arrived from America and won her singles at No.1, but honours were shared again as Janice Torr lost her singles.

In the doubles Helen Crook and Zoe Mellis won but Norman and Torr lost. In the decider Mandy Wainwright and Clare Hammond won in three sets.

Victory on the final day was needed to secure the Group 2 title and it was duly achieved with some ease.

They won the first five singles and the title was coming to Essex. Catherine Norman and Janice Torr both won.

The team captain Christine Jolly from Cranston Park was delighted with her teams performance. She said: ''It was great to see the young players have such success and the blend of youth and experience worked well ".

For both Janice and Catherine it was their debut in the Essex senior team and both did themselves credit.

Janice won two singles while Catherine won one singles and a vital doubles.

Essex men were also in action in Group 2 and finished in third place to retain their status for next year.

They were in action at South Leeds and in the opening match played Warwickshire and went down 2-7.

Only Simon Harston won a singles. Tom Higgins from Gidea Park lost his singles 4-6 in the third set while Gavin Bradford of Clearview led 6-3, 5-3. with a match point but lost it on a tie break.

Their victory came on the second day when they beat Buckinghamshire 7-2. Higgins and Bradford both won singles and Bradford also won his doubles with Vince Ranson.

On day three the opponents were Surrey and Higgins lost his singles 6-7 in the final set.

Bradford was not available to play. Surrey's side included Jeremy Bates at No.1. and it proved decisive as they beat Essex 5-4.

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