Shropshire aces serve up a winning double

Shropshire's men's and women's over-35s tennis teams are celebrating promotion after winning their groups in this year's LTA Over-35s County Cup.

Held on the grass courts at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park, the two county sides both ended with impressive 100 per cent records as they finished top of Group 6 on consecutive weekends.

The Shropshire women's team were first to head to the south coast to play in the popular and prestigious annual event.

Captained by Cheryl Evans, the team, having trained at Shrewsbury Lawn Tennis Club ahead of travelling to Sussex, also included Samara Pateman, Katy Thomson, Lynda Richards and Sarah Hardie.

After opening with a 5-0 victory over South of Scotland, the wins kept coming as Shropshire got the better of Channel Islands 4-1 and Cumbria 5-0 to secure the Group 6a title and promotion.

Delighted captain Evans said: "With the recent weather, we expected to arrive to dry, used courts, but instead we were greeted with courts in pristine condition and perfect for playing.

"A great squad gave me plenty of options throughout the weekend, allowing me to vary the line up and doubles pairings to suit each match. The team's adaptability and strength in depth proved to be a real asset.

"Going into Sunday, we knew we only needed two match wins to secure the title. The team finished in style with another dominant 5-0 victory, sealing the overall win in impressive fashion.

"A huge congratulations to all the ladies on a fantastic team performance. What a brilliant weekend and a well-deserved success."

It was then the turn of Shropshire men's team's to enjoy playing at Eastbourne - and they also produced fine performances throughout to win their division.

It was just the response that captain Ian Gillespie was looking for from his side following the disappointment of relegation 12 months earlier.

Alex Parry, Alan Bevan, James Knight, Adam Baldwin and Oliver Lawrence teamed up in style to win all three of their fixtures.

Having started with a 4-1 victory over Cumbria, Shropshire got the better of Durham & Cleveland 4-1 and finally Northumberland 5-0 to be crowned Group 6b champions.

"It was a great team effort from everyone involved," said Gillespie .

"Our singles and doubles players combined well as a team, and having two debutants, Alan Bevan and Oliver Lawrence, also helped to freshen up the team.

"The expectation going into the weekend would have been for us to go up, but you've got to go out and do it.

"I'm very happy with how it went. Hopefully we can push on now and aim for a division four spot, where we have been competing mostly in recent years.

"It's fantastic for Shropshire tennis that the men's and ladies teams have gained promotion in the over-35s County Cup, not long after Shropshire's girls and boys teams both did the same in the under-18 County Cup earlier this year."

Shropshire were one of 44 counties to compete in this year's LTA Over-35s County Cup.