Tennis: Rowntree Park beat David Lloyd team (From York Press)

Tennis: Rowntree Park beat David Lloyd team

10:40am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Sport

Rowntree Park’s Ian MacAulay and debutant James Martin beat David Lloyd’s rarely beaten pairing of Ben Orton and Jan Dyl by 9-3, and went on to return a maximum of 3-27 in division one of the Tyke Petroleum Men’s Tennis League. Students Sam Davies and Steve McNichol were reunited, taking 2 and 18, in a remarkable 8½-3½ (59-49) result for the Park outfit to enable them to snatch second place from their visitors.

Division two is reaching a thrilling climax. Bottom club Stamford Bridge came out punching at Starbeck, snatching 2½-20 in the first round, and going on to win 56-52 and 8½ points in a drum-tight match, in which three pairs were unbeaten.

York 2 needed ten points to replace their relegated first team in division one, but spurned the chance by taking only two pairs to relegation-threatened Boston Spa. Both those results set up a thrilling five-way shoot-out to avoid the drop to division three.

Castlegarth will have to wait to find out that if they are to be officially promoted, but won’t be losing too much sleep. Knaresborough King James will need to win 12 points at champions Wigginton to snatch second place, as will Bubwith at Starbeck on September 30.

Having dotted the i’s last week, Copmanthorpe crossed the t’s this, with an impressive 9½ points at Sherburn to confirm capture of the division three crown.

Dave Atkinson and Matt Blackburn out-scored their first pair to remain unbeaten with 2½-25 for Cop. Rowntree Park 2 savoured an emphatic demolition of bottom team Rufforth by 10½-1½. Martin O’Connell and Kevin Davison were the weekend’s top-guns with 3-30. To overhaul Park, third-placed Sutton-on-Derwent will need five points or more from their final match at home to champions Copmanthorpe.

Wigginton 2 finished off a fine season with a 12-point maximum at home to Cawood to ensure the distinction of amassing the most points and most games of any team this season.

Castlegarth 2 started well at Sutton-upon-Derwent 2 in their relegation face-off, taking 2½ points and 20 games in the first round.

In a tense contest, it was Castlegarth who blinked first, and the wheels fell off in the final round, as they slumped 60-48 for a 7½-4½ reverse. Sutton stay up and Castlegarth join Bubwith 2 in division six next year. Wheldrake were merciless at home to Pocklington 2nds, taking all but a point and a half, with Les Fowler and Steve Capewell returning 3-27 in a huge 74-34 win.