Dominant Brook stay on course for the title

With just four matches of the season to go, the Bury team have won all 10 of their matches and have opened up a six-point lead on their nearest rivals, Lostock A.

Holcombe’s latest victims were third-placed Hawkshaw A. With steady performances throughout, Holcombe took seven sets to win the match 63-50.

Lostock A maintained their push for the divisional runners-up spot with a demolition of Hawkshaw B, 72-25 the score. It is not looking good for Hawkshaw B, and with just one match win this season, a return to Division Two is looming.

Walmer A eased their relegation threat with a surprise win against Markland Hill A. Walmer’s ladies pairings of Gail Blackburn and Lulu Morley and Marina Hodson and Hattie Morley were particularly impressive as they took all four sets with just seven games conceded to make the final score 54-43 to Walmer A.

Bradshaw A put in a spirited performance against David Lloyd Bolton A. With just one win so far, Bradshaw desperately needed two points to give them a fighting chance of avoiding relegation and with the match tipped in David Lloyd’s favour after the mixed and the men’s matches, it was not looking good for Bradshaw.

But Bradshaw’s ladies pairings of Amy and Olivia Hadjinicolaou and Rebecca Baldwin and Lauren Williams had other ideas as they were able to secure 23 games to win the match 63-48.

In Division Two, Lostock B and Ellesmere are neck -and-neck on 16 points, with Markland Hill B in third place, two points adrift. Both Lostock and Ellesmere had wins against David Lloyd Bolton B and Holcombe Brook C respectively, whereas Markland Hill B missed the chance of keeping up with the leaders by going down 66-39 against mid-table Longsight St Catherines A.

In Division Three, only two points separate the top five teams.

Hawkshaw C currently top the division with 12 points, despite their 58-53 defeat to Walmer B. The win for Walmer puts them in fifth place on 10 points. Also on 10 points are Markland Hill C and David Lloyd Bolton C.

Meanwhile Barrow Bridge A secured second place with a 52-38 win against Eagley A. While Eagley’s men’s pairings were too strong for Bridge’s men, it was in the mixed and ladies doubles that Bridge excelled.

Bridge notched up eight set wins with only 14 games conceded to secure a comfortable match win. With three matches to play, Eagley are already relegated.

There is an interesting battle going on in Division Four as the top four teams are separated by just two points.

David Lloyd Bolton D top the bunch with 12 points, followed by Elton Vale, Lostock D and Meadow Hill, each on 10 points. Longsight St Catherine’s B are currently in fifth place with eight points following their close encounter with Hawkshaw D.

After the mixed doubles, Hawkshaw had a narrow three-point lead and just a four-point lead after the men’s doubles. But with Longsight’s ladies pairings of Shirley Deakin and Sue McClelland and Marion Swinton and Vicky Welldrake taking three sets and 22 points, the match swung in Longsight’s favour, 54-51. The win just about keeps Longsight in touch with the leading group, while defeat for Hawkshaw keeps them at the foot of the table with four points.

In Division Five, Lostock E and Bradshaw C are on 14 points each and they are both guaranteed honours as they cannot be caught by third-placed Holcombe Brook D.

In a crunch match, Holcombe needed to defeat Lostock E to keep their promotion chances alive, but despite Holcombe’s ladies taking all four sets, it was in the mixed doubles pairings and the men’s pairings that Lostock were dominant, winning all eight sets to take the match 55-42.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw C continued their impressive season with a resounding 67-26 win over lowly Lostock F.

BSF Mixed Tennis League results for 19-Jul-2016

Division 1: Hawkshaw A 50 Holcombe Brook A 63, Walmer A 54 Markland Hill A 43, Bradshaw A 63 David Lloyd Bolton A 48, Lostock A 72 Hawkshaw B 25.

Division 2: Ellesmere 62 Holcombe Brook C 46, David Lloyd (Bolton) B 46 Lostock B 63, Holcombe Brook B 72 Lostock C 23, Markland Hill B 39 Longsight St Catherine's A 66.

Division 3: Markland Hill C 54 Bradshaw B 59, Hawkshaw C 53 Walmer B 58, Eagley A 38 Barrow Bridge A 52.

Division 4: Longsight St Catherine's B 54 Hawshaw D 51, Lostock D 51 Elton Vale 45, David Lloyd (Bolton) D 68 Markland Hill D 41.

Division 5: Holcombe Brook D 42 Lostock E 55, Bradshaw C 67 Lostock F 26.

BSF Men's Tennis League results for 18-Jul-2016

Division 1: Lostock A 2.5 Holcombe Brook A 6.5, Markland Hill A 5.5 Hawkshaw A 3.5, Holcombe Brook B 2.5 David Lloyd (Chorley) A 6.5, David Lloyd (Bolton) A 4.5 Ellesmere A 4.5.

Division 2: Ellesmere B 1.5 Leigh A 7.5, Chorley A 9 David Lloyd (Bolton) B 0, Walmer A 7 Markland Hill B 2, Elton Vale A 8.5 Lostock B 0.5.

Division 3: Tyldesley 7 Longsight St Catherine's 2, David Lloyd (Chorley) B 4.5 Eagley A 4.5, Leigh B 3 Darwen 6, Hawkshaw B 6 Winton 3.

Division 4: Bradshaw A 4.5 Walmer B 4.5, Barrow Bridge A 6 David Lloyd (Bolton) C 3, Claremont 3.5 Hawkshaw C 5.5, Eagley B 6 Lostock C 3.

Division 5: Markland Hill C 1 Roe Green A 8, Hawkshaw D 3 Ellesmere C 6, Holcombe Brook C 1.5 Chorley B 7.5, David Lloyd (Bolton) D 0 Bradshaw B 9.

Division 6: Lostock D 6 Holcombe Brook D 3, Meadow Hill A 5 Elton Vale B 4, Chorley C 7.5 Barrow Bridge B 1.5, Astley & Tyldesley 9 Markland Hill D 0.

Division 7: Eagley C 6.5 Lostock E 2.5, Holcombe Brook E 0 Bradshaw C 9, Roe Green B 7 Meadow Hill B 2.

B.S.F. Mixed Tennis League Tables to 24/07/2016

Division 1 P W D L PTS

Holcombe Brook A 10 10 0 0 20

Lostock A 10 7 0 3 14

Hawkshaw A 10 7 0 3 14

Markland Hill A 10 6 0 4 12

David Lloyd Bolton A 10 4 0 6 8

Walmer A 10 3 0 7 6

Bradshaw A 10 2 0 8 4

Hawkshaw B 10 1 0 9 2

Division 2 P W D L PTS

Lostock B 10 8 0 2 16

Ellesmere 10 8 0 2 16

Markland Hill B 10 7 0 3 14

Holcombe Brook B 10 6 0 4 12

Longsight St Catherine's A 10 5 0 5 10

David Lloyd (Bolton) B 10 4 0 6 8

Holcombe Brook C 10 1 0 9 2

Lostock C 10 1 0 9 2

Division 3 P W D L PTS

Hawkshaw C 9 6 0 3 12

Barrow Bridge A 9 5 1 3 11

Markland Hill C 9 5 0 4 10

David Lloyd (Bolton) C 8 4 2 2 10

Walmer B 8 5 0 3 10

Bradshaw B 8 3 1 4 7

Eagley A 9 0 0 9 0

Division 4 P W D L PTS

David Lloyd (Bolton) D 9 6 0 3 12

Elton Vale 9 5 0 4 10

Lostock D 8 5 0 3 10

Meadow Hill 8 5 0 3 10

Longsight St Catherine's B 8 4 0 4 8

Markland Hill D 9 3 0 6 6

Hawshaw D 9 2 0 7 4

Division 5 P W D L PTS

Lostock E 8 7 0 1 14

Bradshaw C 8 7 0 1 14

Holcombe Brook D 8 4 0 4 8

Barrow Bridge B 7 2 0 5 4

Hawkshaw E 6 1 0 5 2

Lostock F 7 1 0 6 2

B.S.F. Men's Tennis League Tables to 23/07/2016

Division 1 P W D T L PTS

David Lloyd (Chorley) A 10 10 0 0 0 30

Holcombe Brook A 10 8 0 1 1 26

Markland Hill A 10 5 0 2 3 19

Hawkshaw A 10 3 1 1 5 12

David Lloyd (Bolton) A 10 3 0 1 6 11

Lostock A 10 3 0 0 7 9

Ellesmere A 10 2 1 1 6 9

Holcombe Brook B 10 2 0 0 8 6

Division 2 P W D T L PTS

Leigh A 10 10 0 0 0 30

Elton Vale A 10 8 0 0 2 24

Chorley A 10 8 0 0 2 24

Walmer A 10 6 0 0 4 18

Ellesmere B 10 2 0 1 7 8

David Lloyd (Bolton) B 10 2 0 0 8 6

Lostock B 10 2 0 0 8 6

Markland Hill B 10 1 0 1 8 5

Division 3 P W D T L PTS

Darwen 10 8 0 1 1 26

Eagley A 10 5 0 2 3 19

Tyldesley 10 5 0 2 3 19

Hawkshaw B 10 6 0 0 4 18

David Lloyd (Chorley) B 10 5 0 1 4 17

Winton 10 4 0 0 6 12

Longsight St Catherine's 10 2 0 2 6 10

Leigh B 10 1 0 0 9 3

Division 4 P W D T L PTS

Eagley B 10 7 0 0 3 21

Bradshaw A 10 6 0 1 3 20

Barrow Bridge A 10 5 0 2 3 19

Hawkshaw C 10 6 0 0 4 18

Walmer B 10 5 0 1 4 17

Lostock C 10 3 0 1 6 11

Claremont 10 3 0 0 7 9

David Lloyd (Bolton) C 10 2 0 1 7 8

Division 5 P W D T L PTS

Chorley B 10 10 0 0 0 30

Roe Green A 10 7 0 0 3 21

Bradshaw B 10 5 0 1 4 17

Holcombe Brook C 10 5 0 1 4 17

Markland Hill C 10 4 0 0 6 12

Hawkshaw D 10 3 0 0 7 9

David Lloyd (Bolton) D 10 3 0 0 7 9

Ellesmere C 10 2 0 0 8 6

Division 6 P W D T L PTS

Elton Vale B 10 9 0 0 1 27

Meadow Hill A 10 9 0 0 1 27

Astley & Tyldesley 10 6 0 1 3 20

Lostock D 10 5 1 0 4 16

Chorley C 10 4 0 1 5 14

Markland Hill D 10 4 0 0 6 12

Barrow Bridge B 10 1 1 0 8 4

Holcombe Brook D 10 0 0 0 10 0

Division 7 P W D T L PTS

Eagley C 9 9 0 0 0 27

Bradshaw C 8 7 0 0 1 21

Roe Green B 8 5 0 0 3 15

Lostock E 9 4 0 0 5 12

Meadow Hill B 9 2 0 1 6 8

Hawkshaw E 8 1 0 1 6 5

Holcombe Brook E 9 1 0 0 8 3