Essex ladies scored a convincing 8-1 win over Kent in Group 2 of the LTA Inter County Grass Court Championships at Cromer on Monday.

They followed up with a whitewash 9-0 win over Sussex on Tuesday.

It was a fine start to their attempt to get back into Group 1 after relegation last year.

For Monday's win they fielded the team of Mandy Wainwright and Mary Collins who won three games, Zoe Mellis and Lara Naqushbandi who also won three games and the Janes sisters Amanda and Caroline who won two.

On Tuesday, when they met Sussex, Amanda Brown partnered Mandy Wainwright with the rest of the team remaining the same.

The Essex men were in action in Group 1 at Eastbourne back in the top flight after a five year break during which time they dropped to Group 3.

They meet Berkshire and lost by the narrowest of margins 4-5 in the opening match.

They were without top pair Danny Ward and Matthew Coombs both unavailable for Monday so the line up was Mike Ellames and Simon Harston (won two matches) Vince Ranson and Keith Tomlin (won one match), Richard Barham and Simon Bonham (won one match).

They led 2-1 after the first round of rubbers and looked good for a win as they led by a set in all three matches in the second round.

It was not to be in the deciding rubber with the match score level at 4-4, Barham and Bonham lost to Paul Hand and Harneez Hameed 6-7,7-5,5-7.

On Tuesday they met Devon and this time rain took a hand with play not starting until mid afternoon.

Danny Ward and Matthew Coombs were back in the side and won their opening match although the team trailed 2-1 on the first round.

But there was disaster in the second round as they slumped to a 5-1 defeat.

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