HOLCOMBE Brook D of Bolton Mixed Tennis League’s Division Five are through to the final of the Cecil Cup, where they will meet Hawkshaw A of Division One.

It is the second time in four years that Holcombe have reached the final, this time at the expense of Division Four's Lostock D, in the semis.

Holcombe began the match with a +39.5 handicap start, and with the mixed pairings of Beverley Gerega/Neville Edmonson and Pam Bracewell/Richard Bracewell taking 11 games from their two sets, Lostock must have realised that they had quite a challenge on their hands. The pressure continued to grow on Lostock as Holcombe’s ladies pairing of Paula Bracewell and Gabby Barber won both their sets to effectively secure the win for Holcombe. This was despite a valiant effort by Lostock’s gent’s pairings of Sam Brook/Matthew Potts and Dave Bedford/Stuart Roache, who won their four sets with just seven games conceded.

In the end, Holcombe secured 36 games to win the match 75.5-65.

Holcombe Brook D last reached the final of the Cecil Cup in 2013 when they lost to Lostock A.

In the other match, Hawkshaw A of Division One sailed through to the final at the expense of a weakened Meadow Hill team.

Meadow Hill of Division 4 began the match with a +56.5 handicap start, which meant they needed to win at least one game per set, plus an additional four games and after the mixed sets it was evident that Meadow Hill’s challenge might just be in vain as they only had three games under their belt. Moving into the ladies sets, Hawkshaw piled on the pressure as Lisa Cartwright and Vicky Coxen did not drop any games in their two sets then, with only three more games to Meadow Hill after the ladies sets, it was down to Meadow Hill’s gent’s pairings of Chris Taylor/Graham Keeler and the brothers Jack and Alex Milner to somehow win the required 10 games, but it wasn’t to be. Hawkshaw’s Ed Brown/Gareth Davies and Paul Evans/James Edgington were rampant as they notched up four sets with only four games conceded. The final score was Meadow Hill 66.5, Hawkshaw A, 72.

Vanessa Browne, vice captain of Meadow Hill said after the match, “From a Meadow Hill point of view, we missed our charismatic captain Trevor Taylor, out with an injured back, but we had no answer to the skill of Lisa Cartwright.”

The evergreen Cartwright was the only Hawkshaw player to win all three sets without conceding a game – a tremendous effort.

This will be the fourth time that Hawkshaw A have reached the final in the last seven years. The team is now seeking a hat trick of wins.

The final is scheduled for Sunday, August 21, starting at 2pm. The venue is to be confirmed.

BSF Mixed Tennis League results - August 2

Division 1: Lostock A 41 Holcombe Brook A 56, Bradshaw A 41 Markland Hill A 57, Hawkshaw A 69 Walmer A 27, David Lloyd Bolton A 72 Hawkshaw B 32.

Division 2: Markland Hill B 71 Holcombe Brook C 41, Holcombe Brook B 60 Lostock B 56, Ellesmere 72 David Lloyd (Bolton) B 34, Lostock C 35 Longsight St Catherine's A 68.

Division 3: Eagley A 0 Bradshaw B 72, Hawkshaw C 38 David Lloyd (Bolton) C 60, Walmer B 46 Barrow Bridge A 65.

Division 4: David Lloyd (Bolton) D 34 Hawshaw D 67, Meadow Hill 48 Elton Vale 47, Longsight St Catherine's B 35 Lostock D 69.

Division 5: Barrow Bridge B 55 Hawkshaw E 51, Lostock E 65 Lostock F 36.

BSF Men's Tennis League results for 1-Aug-2016

Division 1: David Lloyd (Bolton) A 0 Holcombe Brook A 9, Holcombe Brook B 6.5 Hawkshaw A 2.5, Lostock A 8 Markland Hill A 1, David Lloyd (Chorley) A 9 Ellesmere A 0.

Division 2: Elton Vale A 2.5 Leigh A 6.5, Walmer A 6.5 David Lloyd (Bolton) B 2.5, Ellesmere B 0 Chorley A 9, Markland Hill B 1 Lostock B 8.

Division 3: Hawkshaw B 5.5 Longsight St Catherine's 3.5, Leigh B 2.5 Eagley A 6.5, Tyldesley 6 David Lloyd (Chorley) B 3, Darwen 9 Winton 0.

Division 4: Eagley B 6.5 Walmer B 2.5, Claremont 4 David Lloyd (Bolton) C 5, Bradshaw A 4 Barrow Bridge A 5, Hawkshaw C 3.5 Lostock C 5.5.

Division 5: David Lloyd (Bolton) D 3.5 Roe Green A 5.5, Holcombe Brook C 6.5 Ellesmere C 2.5, Markland Hill C 4 Hawkshaw D 5, Chorley B 5.5 Bradshaw B 3.5.

Division 6: Astley & Tyldesley 6 Holcombe Brook D 3, Chorley C 5.5 Elton Vale B 3.5, Lostock D 2.5 Meadow Hill A 6.5, Barrow Bridge B 6.5 Markland Hill D 2.5.

Division 7: Hawkshaw E 1 Lostock E 8, Roe Green B 2 Bradshaw C 7, Eagley C 9 Holcombe Brook E 0.

B.S.F. Mixed Tennis League Tables to 08/08/2016

Division 1 P W D L PTS

Holcombe Brook A 12 12 0 0 24

Hawkshaw A 12 8 0 4 16

Lostock A 12 8 0 4 16

Markland Hill A 12 8 0 4 16

David Lloyd Bolton A 12 5 0 7 10

Walmer A 12 4 0 8 8

Bradshaw A 12 2 0 10 4

Hawkshaw B 12 1 0 11 2

Division 2 P W D L PTS

Lostock B 12 9 0 3 18

Ellesmere 12 9 0 3 18

Markland Hill B 12 9 0 3 18

Holcombe Brook B 12 8 0 4 16

Longsight St Catherine's A 12 6 0 6 12

David Lloyd (Bolton) B 12 5 0 7 10

Holcombe Brook C 12 1 0 11 2

Lostock C 12 1 0 11 2

Division 3 P W D L PTS

Barrow Bridge A 10 6 1 3 13

Markland Hill C 10 6 0 4 12

Walmer B 10 6 0 4 12

David Lloyd (Bolton) C 10 5 2 3 12

Hawkshaw C 11 6 0 5 12

Bradshaw B 10 5 1 4 11

Eagley A 11 0 0 11 0

Division 4 P W D L PTS

David Lloyd (Bolton) D 10 6 0 4 12

Lostock D 10 6 0 4 12

Elton Vale 11 6 0 5 12

Meadow Hill 10 6 0 4 12

Hawshaw D 11 4 0 7 8

Markland Hill D 10 4 0 6 8

Longsight St Catherine's B 10 4 0 6 8

Division 5 P W D L PTS

Lostock E 10 9 0 1 18

Bradshaw C 9 7 0 2 14

Holcombe Brook D 8 4 0 4 8

Barrow Bridge B 8 3 0 5 6

Hawkshaw E 8 2 0 6 4

Lostock F 9 1 0 8 2

B.S.F. Men's Tennis League Tables to 08/08/2016

Division 1 P W D T L PTS

David Lloyd (Chorley) A 12 12 0 0 0 36

Holcombe Brook A 12 10 0 1 1 32

Markland Hill A 12 6 0 2 4 22

Hawkshaw A 12 4 1 1 6 15

Lostock A 12 4 0 0 8 12

David Lloyd (Bolton) A 12 3 0 1 8 11

Holcombe Brook B 12 3 0 0 9 9

Ellesmere A 12 2 1 1 8 9

Division 2 P W D T L PTS

Leigh A 12 12 0 0 0 36

Chorley A 12 10 0 0 2 30

Elton Vale A 12 9 0 0 3 27

Walmer A 12 7 0 0 5 21

David Lloyd (Bolton) B 12 3 0 0 9 9

Lostock B 12 3 0 0 9 9

Ellesmere B 12 2 0 1 9 8

Markland Hill B 12 1 0 1 10 5

Division 3 P W D T L PTS

Darwen 12 9 1 1 1 30

Tyldesley 12 7 0 2 3 25

Eagley A 12 6 0 2 4 22

Hawkshaw B 12 7 1 0 4 22

David Lloyd (Chorley) B 12 5 0 1 6 17

Winton 12 5 0 0 7 15

Longsight St Catherine's 12 3 0 2 7 13

Leigh B 12 1 0 0 11 3

Division 4 P W D T L PTS

Eagley B 12 9 0 0 3 27

Barrow Bridge A 12 7 0 2 3 25

Bradshaw A 12 7 0 1 4 23

Walmer B 12 6 0 1 5 20

Hawkshaw C 12 6 0 0 6 18

Lostock C 12 4 0 1 7 14

David Lloyd (Bolton) C 12 3 0 1 8 11

Claremont 12 3 0 0 9 9

Division 5 P W D T L PTS

Chorley B 12 12 0 0 0 36

Roe Green A 12 9 0 0 3 27

Holcombe Brook C 12 6 0 1 5 20

Bradshaw B 12 5 0 1 6 17

Markland Hill C 12 5 0 0 7 15

Hawkshaw D 12 5 0 0 7 15

David Lloyd (Bolton) D 12 3 0 0 9 9

Ellesmere C 12 2 0 0 10 6

Division 6 P W D T L PTS

Meadow Hill A 12 10 0 1 1 32

Elton Vale B 12 10 0 0 2 30

Astley & Tyldesley 12 7 0 1 4 23

Chorley C 12 6 0 1 5 20

Lostock D 12 5 1 0 6 16

Markland Hill D 12 4 0 1 7 14

Barrow Bridge B 12 3 1 0 8 10

Holcombe Brook D 12 0 0 0 12 0

Division 7 P W D T L PTS

Eagley C 11 11 0 0 0 33

Bradshaw C 10 8 0 0 2 24

Roe Green B 10 6 0 0 4 18

Lostock E 11 5 0 0 6 15

Hawkshaw E 10 2 0 1 7 8

Meadow Hill B 10 2 0 1 7 8

Holcombe Brook E 10 1 0 0 9 3