Tennis: Essex leading the way for IC week

Leigh tennis hero David Lloyd will be taking a break from his Davis Cup captain duties to skipper the men's team at the event, which starts on Monday.

Also flying the Essex flag will be Frinton's Robin Drysdale, 46, in the over-45 veterans event and 28-year-old Mark Petchey from Chigwell.

They will be joined by Chris Wilkinson and Phil Siviter in a men's team that is seeded first for the Windmill Trophy.

America, Germany and defending champions Italy are the other seeded teams.

The British women's pair are Anthea Stewart in the over-40 event and former National Junior champion Lizzie Jelfs, 23, in the under-40s.

They are seeded fourth for the Christiane Mercelis Trophy, behind the Nether-lands, Russia and the USA. The current holders are Germany.

The event is being held to mark the 75th anniversary of the IC of Great Britain and is the 18th ICweek to be staged since the first one in 1948.

Apart from the big two events, players will also contest the men's Orsini Trophy and the ladies' Winnie Wooldridge Trophy.

Fifty teams - 30 men's and 20 ladies' - from 31 countries will be competing.

"The event promises to be the largest international tennis team event ever held in Britain and it is a tribute to the International Club and its founder, Wallis Myers, that the event is to be staged at Wimbledon," said a spokesman for the IT.

"With no prize money at stake, all competitors are following the IC ethic of playing in a spirit of true sportsmanship."

Play starts at the All England Club on Monday and culminates in the finals next Saturday. Admission is £5 per day.

David Lloyd - will be swapping his Davis Cup duties with Tim Henman (left) and Greg Rusedski to captain the British team at IC week

Wickford finals day

Wickford Tennis Club is holding it's annual summer finals on Sunday, August 15.

There will be seven finals taking place starting at 11am and running through the day.

Winning ways greet Phillips' return

This week saw the welcome return of John Phillips to the Westcliff Hardcourt men's team.

He was in action at the weekend as Hard took on Earls Colne in Division One of the Essex Senior League.

The Westcliff team recorded a comfortable 7-3 win with John, who played in America and recently returned to the game, and Simon Bonham both winning three rubbers.

Simon Chesher and Lance Owen notched up two apiece with Jeremy Harvey and Nick Plappert getting one each.

Among the Earls Colne team were county players Dave Fuller, Keith Morgan and James Yates.

Thorpe Bay lost seven rubbers to two against Gidea Park in Division One.

David Tubbs, Graham Bloomfield, Jon Lee, Simon Cuthbert, Lee Blackman and Nick Williamson were the losing Thorpe Bay team.

In Divion Three, Westcliff Lawn thirds beat Cranbrook Castle 18 sets to nil and now need one more victory to win the league.

In the National Mixed Medley tournament, Gidea Park were on winning form again, this time beating Westcliff Hard.

The club's Graham Goodale and Anne Johnson lost to Park's Wayne Lemoine and Pat Wire in the mixed doubles.

John Harris lost to Phil O'Leary and Steffi Rodrigues succumbed to Jan Towers.

Westcliff Lawn veterans first team drew four sets all with Great Baddow in Division One of the Veterans League. Lawn's ladies' veterans second team beat Linkside 15-3 in Division Three.

Hat-trick for Hutton team

The finals of the ECLTA Junior League summer season were played at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre and saw Hutton and Shenfield complete a hat-trick of wins in the boys' event.

They beat Great Baddow 4-2 in sets in the semi-final and then defeated Waltham-stow 4-2 in the final. The Walthamstow boys saw off Old Chelmsfordians 4-2 in their semi.

The girls final saw Great Baddow taking on a combined Old Chelmsfordians/ Grove team, which the pairing won 4-2.

Billericay is the only south Essex club which competes in the junior league, but organisers are keen to set up a division for the area. Contact Ray Jones on 01245 601131 for details.

Leigh & Westcliff

Bernard Horwood's Westcliff Hard team won their premier title for the second consecutive year.

Their eight-point margin in Division One was beyond the chasing pack. Hockley are relegated to Division Two for the first time since being promoted in 1984.

Division Two has been one of the closest-fought in the leagues this year with the clubs being neck-and-neck all the way.

John Blackman's Thorpe Bay sealed the fate of the division at both ends - their 5-1 win over Kent Elms 2 giving them the title and plunging Elms into Division Three.

Wickford and Leigh 2 were on top in Division Three for much of the season, but Stewart Clark's Wickford team won promotion by a single point. Leigh Road Baptist tumbled into Division Four by a single point.

Richard Turner's Westcliff Hard 3 took two vital points against promotion contenders Thorpe Bay 3 in their last game to secure promotion from Division Four by one point.

Invicta 3 have struggled to have their squads available this year and have fought hard with a limited number of players. However, they were relegated to Division Five.

Jerry Bell's Thorpe Bay 5 beat Rayleigh 2 to the Division Five title by a point, but their upper team prevents them being promoted. John Hayter's Rayleigh 2 go up instead.

CE Heaths took the wooden spoon after failing to pull away from the foot of the table.

Brenda Lincoln's Kent Elms team took the Ladies Division One honours for the third year running after opening a two-point gap over Westcliff Hard, who they beat 4-2.

Southend Lawn have lost some members from their once-strong squad and will be in Division Two next season.

Nicola Edward's Hockley run away with the Division Two title after three years in the division.

Leigh 2 had a final win of 5-1, but it was not sufficient to prevent Janice Davies' side from going down to Division Three for the first time since 1997.

Laura Ravinet's Westcliff Lawn 2 recorded the largest points margin of the season, a massive 51 points. However, their first team prevents the seconds from promotion, so Thorpe Bay 2 go up. Hockley 2 received the wooden spoon.

Bryan Bone's Kent Elms took the League Division One title for the fourth year running and the ninth time since the League's formation in 1950.

Westcliff Lawn drop out after a fairly close-fought campaign by the bottom four clubs.

Frances Ferguson's Thorpe Bay have achieved their goal of playing in the top flight, while Invicta - who have had trouble in getting members to turn out - fall into Division Three.

Cezara Dane saw her Kent Elms 3 team win Division Three, but with Elms and second-placed Westcliff Lawn 2 having club teams in Division Two, no teams will be promoted.

Wickford were relegated into Division Four and force their second team to drop down into Division Five. The seconds missed promotion to Division Three by one point.

Division Four saw last year's Division Five champs do it again. Yvonne Chambers' Rayleigh 2 squad won by a point. Crowstone are relegated on game countback after finishing level with Hockley 3.

Thorpe Bay 3, captained by Jim Love, won Division Five, with St Peters coming last.

County men in defeat

Westcliff tennis players Simon Bonham and Richard Barham enjoyed four days of top level tennis at Inter-County Week at East-bourne.

However, the seven-strong Essex men's team were relegated to Division Two after they lost 5-4 to Berkshire when top pair Coombes and Ward were not available to play.

Essex went on to beat Leicestershire, but lost 7-2 to Devon.

Westcliff Hardcourt's Sophie Cockell was the other local player on county duty and was part of the triumphant girls team which won promotion to Division One at Cromer. Among their successes was an 8-1 win over Kent.

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