Play tennis at the friendly club wherever you live.
Ormskirk Tennis Club draws its members from Ormskirk, Town Green, Aughton, Bickerstaffe, Burscough, Tarleton, Hallsall, Southport, Mawdesley, Croston, Maghull, Lydiate, Rainford, Skelmersdale, Sefton, Crosby, Formby, Parbold, Newburgh, Rufford, Aughton, Tarlscough, Town Green and other surrounding areas of West Lancashire.
Ormskirk I went to Formby HT I and were strangely out of form. When the teams met earlier in the season they secured a draw but this time round they were outplayed with the sole exception of 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker who gained the only two points of the evening with a tight 6/5,6/4. Formby HT I took the other 14 points.
Ormskirk II entertained Carlton I and played the levels first. 1st Gents B Humphreys/J Hobson were well matched with their opponents 6/5,5/6. 2nd Gents lost. This was offset by P Webster/S Iliff at 1st ladies with a 6/3,6/4 win. 2nd pair S Crowley/E Gunstone set off strongly 6/1 but had the tables turned 2/6. 1st Mixed B Humphreys/P Webster combined strongly 6/0,6/3 as did 3rd pair B Sherriff/S Crowley 6/1,6/3. 2nd and 4th pairs lost close matches so overall it was drawn match with 8 points each for Ormskirk II and Carlton I.
Ormskirk III were at home to Formby III putting mixed events first. J McNeil/S Davison edged the first set 6/4 then pressed home 6/0. K Slater/S Lawton convinced 6/3,6/3. 3rd pair lost. 4th couple P Roberts/A Vernon won 6/2,6/3. 1st Gents J McNeil/K Slater came through a tough match 6/3,6/5. 2nd Gents D Smith/P Roberts were in terrific form 6/1 but fell away 4/6. 1st Ladies S Davison/S Lawton were always in control 6/3,6/1. Although 2nd Ladies lost Ormskirk III had done enough to win by 11 points to 5 for Formby III.
Ormskirk IV went to Formby HT III. 1st Mixed A Mort/C Winrow were nip and tuck 6/5,5/6. 2nd & 4th pairs were unlucky to lose. 3rd pair S McGabhann/L Ashcroft kept their nerve 6/4,6/5. 1st Gents A Mort/G Helm recovered from a lost 3/6 to take the second set by the same score. 2nd Gents lost. 1st Ladies C Winrow/K Ratoff were blitzed 1/6 but came back strongly 6/3. Similarly L Ashcroft/K Ratoff hit back from 0/6 to win 6/2. But in the end Ormskirk IV had lost to Formby HT III by 6 points to 10.
Ormskirk V went up the road to Town Green and had a finely balanced encounter. 1st Mixed R Ward/K Sumner took the first set 6/4 but couldn’t hold on 3/6. A loss at 2nd pair was offset by P Murphy/J Gregson with a splendid 6/3,6/2. 4th pair I Duffy/E Roberts were honours even 3/6,6/4. Town Green’s men proved too strong. 1st Ladies K Sumner/R Jones went ahead 6/3 but fell away 3/6. J Gregson/E Roberts kept their noses in front with a strong 6/1,6/5 but Ormskirk V were pipped at the post losing by 7 points to 9.
Ormskirk VI were much too strong for Sphynx III. 1st Mixed D Sherwood/L Crossan went ahead 6/3 but lost a tiebreak. S Charters/J Campbell were invincible 6/0,6/0. P McConnell/C Price won 6/2,6/3 and D Iliff/P Hesketh rounded off the first half with a dominant 6/1,6/0. 1st gents D Sherwood/S Charters edged a tiebreak but couldn’t hold on 3/6. P McConnell/D Iliff started well 6/2 then grabbed a tiebreak.. 1st Ladies L Crossan/J Campbell led 6.3 but were pegged back 4/6. There were no problems for C Price/P Hesketh who took both sets 6/3,6/4. This was a terrific win for Ormskirk VI with 13 points to 3 for Sphynx III.
Ormskirk I were at home to Blundellsands I, who are finding life hard in the premier division. However things began well for them with a good win at 1st Mixed. 2nd Mixed P Thomson/F Wisse were barely troubled opening up with a bagel set 6/0 and hanging on 6/4. R Staziker/J Watling were steady winners 6/3,6/3. J Allerston/J Temple were pipped 4/6 but dug deep to take the tiebreak. 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker dictated play 6/1 but then had to work hard to hold a tiebreak. P Thomson/J Allerston took the tiebreak and pressed home their advantage 6/2. 1st Ladies V Cocks/J Watling rested on their laurels 6/4 as they fell away 1/6. F Wisse/J Temple were in dominant form 6/1,6/3. At the end of the match Ormskirk I had 12 points and Blundellsands I had 4.
Ormskirk II travelled to North Meols III and played mixed first. M & P Webster showed all their strength and experience 6/3,6/2. B Humphreys/S Iliff began well 6/2 but couldn’t maintain it 3/6. 3rd pair lost. D Sherwood/S Crowley were unlucky to lose a tiebreak and came back well 6/4. 1st Gents M Webster/B Humphreys were pipped 5/6 but went up several gears 6/1. B Sherriff/D Sherwood also lost a tiebreak then recovered 6/3. . It was left to the Ladies to bring the team through. P Webster/S Iliff combined well 6/1,6/2 while H Bell/S Crowley were hardly troubled 6/2,6/2, which ensured a win for Ormskirk II with 10 points to 6 for North Meols 3.
Ormskirk III went to Croston who are very strong this year. The Mixed events began proceedings with Ormskirk losing 1st and 4th. 2nd pair J Hobson/E Gunstone began strongly 6/3 and were unlucky to lose 5/6. D Smith/J Crompton recovered from a lost 2/6 to come back well 6/3. Young J Hobson was outstanding in his Gents match partnering D Birchall. He hit the ball hard and accurately and ran for everything.. His hard work paid off as he and his partner took the only outright win of the night 6/46/3. With losses in all other levels, it was a disappointing night for Ormskirk III with 4 points, 12 for Croston I.
Ormskirk IV were at home to Maghull I. 1st Mixed pair lost. Promising youngster P Roberts partnered C Winrow at 2nd Mixed and they were always in control 6/2.6/2. A Mort/L Ashcroft kept their noses in front 6/4,6/5. P Murphy/K Ratoff recovered from a lost 1/6 to even it up 6/3. 1st Gents G Birchall/P Roberts worked hard to triumph 6/4,6/2. A Mort/P Murphy began tentatively 3/6 then roared back with a convincing 6/1. A loss at 1st Ladies was nullified by L Ashcroft/K Ratoff who won comfortably 6/3,6/1. The final score was 10 for Ormskirk IV and 6 for Maghull I, an excellent result.
Ormskirk V entertained David Lloyd but found wins rather elusive. The mixed events were a clean sweep for the visitors. 1st Gents R Ward/S Charters began well 6/2 but couldn’t hold on 3/6. K Sumner/J Campbell coped with the heat better than their opponents one of whom became unwell and couldn’t continue. Score was 6/2,5/1 at the time. The result was 3 points for Ormskirk V, 13 for David Lloyd.
Ormskirk VI went to North Meols V. Stars of the night were 2nd Mixed S McGabhann/E Roberts who played really well 6/2,6/3. 3rd pair P McConnell/J Caine edged a tiebreak 6/5 but fell away 6/2. 1st Gents G Helm/S McGabhann nipped ahead 6/5 but couldn’t hold on 3/6. It was the same story for P McConnell/D Quirk 6/5,4/6. 1st Ladies lost. 2nd Ladies J Caine/C Price had a close match 3/6,6/4. Ormskirk VI lost to North Meols V by 6 points to 10.
Ormskirk I went to North Meols 1. 1st Mixed lost. 2nd pair P Thomson/F Wisse did well to edge the first set 6/4 but had nothing left 0/6. R Staziker/J Watling began strongly 6/2 then had to dig deep to hold the tiebreak. J Allerston/J Temple also had a tiebreak 6/5 then pulled away 6/2. 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker were made to work 6/4,6/5, but 2nd Gents and 1st Ladies lost. 2nd pair F Wisse/J Temple were in terrific form 6/0,6/3 which gave Ormskirk 1 the edge with 9 points to 7 for North Meols I.
Ormskirk II were missing two ladies who were at Wimbledon but it made little difference as the home team was too strong for Formby 3. Levels were on court first with M Webster/B Humphreys cruising through 6/2,6/1. B Sherriff/D Sherwood were always in control 6/1,6/3. 1st Ladies P Webster/S Iliff had the upper hand 6/2,6/4 though 2nd Ladies lost. Ormskirk II led 6 – 2 as the Mixed began. M & P Webster took charge 6/2,6/4. D Sherriff/S Lawton held on 6/4,6/3 as 4th pair D Sherwood/J Crompton took a bagel set 6/0 then fought off a tiebreak challenge. At the end of the match Ormskirk II had 14 points, Formby 3 had 2 points.
Ormskirk III entertained Carlton 3 and played Mixed events first. P Morana/S Davison dictated play 6/3,6/1. K Slater/H Bell gained in confidence from winning a tiebreak to press on 6/3. J Olverson/E Gunstone were too strong for their opponents 6/1,6/2., and J Hobson/A Vernon rounded off a full house 6/3,6/4. 1st Gents P Morana/K Slater held their nerve 6/4,6/3. Talented youngsters J Olverson/J Hobson were leading 6/4 when an opponent suffered an injury. 1st Ladies lost but this was offset by H Bell/A Vernon who cruised through easily 6/1,6/1. The final score was Ormskirk II, 14 points, Carlton 3, 2 points.
Ormskirk IV travelled to David Lloyd for what proved to be a very evenly contested match. 1st Mixed D Birchall/C Winrow began well 6/3 but let their opponents back in 2/6. 2nd Mixed lost. 3rd pair A Mort/R Jones recovered from a 1/6 set to hit back 6/4. K O’Sullivan/L Ashcroft had the greatest success taking both points 6/5,6/1. 1st Gents lost. 2nd gents A Mort/K O’Sullivan started slowly 3/6 but recovered by the same score. 1st Ladies C Winrow/P Treanor surged ahead 6/4,6/1. 2nd Ladies R Jones/L Ashcroft looked unstoppable 6/0 but could not maintain their stranglehold, losing 3/6. Honours were even 8 points all between Ormskirk IV and David Lloyd.
Ormskirk 5 went to Maghull to find that the newly laid courts suffered heat damage and despite efforts to cool them down, no play was possible so the match went to Ormskirk 5 by default.
Ormskirk 6 were at home to Hoole for a very tight encounter. Both 1st and 2nd Mixed pairs lost. 3rd pair G Lindsey/P Hesketh were nip and tuck 6/4,4/6 as were D Quirk/J Caine 3/6,6/3. 1st Gents G Helm/S McGabhann were much the stronger 6/2,6/1. G Lindsay/D Quirk hardly let their opponents in 6/2,6/0. 1st Ladies lost. 2nd Ladies E Lawton/J Caine were punished 0/6 but would not give in, coming back well 6/4. But it was not quite enough as Ormskirk 6 lost by 7 points to 9 for Hoole.
Ormskirk 1 came agonisingly close to a great result against Argyle 1. The levels were first on court where 1st Gents faced a too-strong pair. 2nd Gents P Thomson/J Allerston offset the loss with a terrific 6/3,6/5. 1st ladies lost to superior opposition. 2nd Ladies F Wisse/J Temple did well 6/4 but fell away 1/6. 1st Mixed could do nothing. 2nd pair R Staziker/J Watling came back well from 2/6 to win the second set 6/4. P Thomson/F Wisse had a see-saw 4/6,6/4. J Allerston was again in the points at 4th Mixed with J Temple to triumph 6/4,6/2. It was not quite enough to prevent a loss by Ormskirk 1 with 7 points to 9 for Argyle 1.
Ormskirk 2 travelled to Croston 1 and played mixed first. Experienced M & P Webster grabbed both sets 6/3,6/4, but second pair lost. 3rd pair B Sherriff/S Crowley combined steadily with a determined 6/4,6/3. P Morana/E Gunstone dug in to take the tiebreak 6/5 but were pipped 3/6. 1st gents M Webster/B Humphreys were in great form 6/2,6/3. 2nd pair B Sherriff/P Morana were also not in trouble 6/3,6/3. The Croston Ladies were stronger but Ormskirk 2 had already clinched the match 9 points to 7.
Ormskirk 3 found a strengthened North Meols 3 when they began with the mixed events. Only 4th pair K Slater/J Crompton were in the points 3/6,6/4. In the levels 1st Gents and Ladies lost narrowly. 2nd Gents J Olverson/K Slater were increasingly in charge 6/4,6/1. 2nd Ladies S Lawton/J Crompton were the stronger 6/3,6/3. It was a disappointing evening for Ormskirk 3 after some close matches to conclude with a score of 5 points to 11 for North Meols 3.
Ormskirk 4 completed a demolition job on Town Green. 1st Mixed D Smith/A Vernon had to fight 6/4 but fell away 1/6. No such problem for G Birchall/P Treanor with a 6/1,6/4 win. 3rd pair G George/K Ratoff kept their noses in front 6/3,6/4. A Mort/R Jones allowed their opponents just one game. 1st Gents D Smith/G Birchall called the shots 6/3,6/3. 2nd Gents G George/A Mort were too powerful 6/2,6/1. 1st Ladies A Vernon/P Treanor did well 6/4,6/2, while 2nd Ladies K Ratoff/R Jones eased through 6/0,6/3. This was a splendid result for Ormskirk 4 with 15 points to 1 for Town Green.
The match between Ormskirk 5 and Formby HT3 was rained off and will be played later.
Ormskirk 6 went to Birkdale 4 and were asked to play mixed first. D Iliff/K Sumner shared the sets 6/2,3/6 as did P McConnell/J Campbell 3/6,6/5. A loss at 3rd Mixed was counteracted by promising youngster P Roberts who with P Hesketh grew in confidence 6/4,6/1. It was all-square as the levels began. 1st gents D Iliff/P Murphy were in no danger 6/0,6/3. P McConnell/P Roberts began in awesome form 6/1 but suffered a reverse 1/6. 1st Ladies was a really tight match for K Sumner/C Price 4/6,6/4. It was left to J Campbell/P Hesketh to post a strong 6/1,6/2 and give Ormskirk 6 a 10 - 6 win over Birkdale 4.
With the last match of the first half of the season Ormskirk 1 had the unenviable task of welcoming the 1st Division leaders Birkdale to their County Road courts. They found no joy in the levels events despite some spirited performances. In the 1st Mixed event captain D Sherriff partnered V Cocks and squeezed a 6/4 but couldn’t maintain the pressure 3/6. 3rd pair P Thomson/F Wisse recovered from a lost 3/6 to hit back by the same score. The result was Ormskirk 1, 2 points, Birkdale 1, 14.
Ormskirk 3 were at home to Ormskirk 2 who are in the same division. Mixed events began (Ormskirk 3 names first). J Olverson/E Gunstone v. M Webster/S Crowley 5/6,6/2; K Slater/S Lawton/v. B Humphreys/S Iliff 2/6,6/5: J Hobson/A Vernon v. B Sherriff/H Bell 2/6,6/2: D Smith/J Crompton v. P Morana/S Davison 3/6,6/5: With all matches halved the levels went on court. J Olverson/J Hobson v. M Webster/B Humphreys 2/6,4/6: K Slater/D Smith v. B Sherriff/P Morana 0/6,5/6: E Gunstone/S Lawton v. S Crowley/H Bell 5//6,6/3: A Vernon/J Crompton v. S Iliff/S Davison 06/,5/6 At the end of the match played in a very friendly but competitive spirit Ormskirk 2 were the winners by 11 points to 5.
The fixture list threw up a similar situation as Ormskirk 5, in the same division as Ormskirk 4, played each other. The mixed events were on first; Ormskirk 5 names first as the home side. D.Iliff/L Crossan v. A Mort/P Treanor 2/6,5/6: I Duffy/E Roberts v. C Wilson/R Jones 5/6,6/2: P Murphy/P Hesketh v. R Ward/J Campbell 3/6,6/4: M Winstanley/C Price v. S Charters/J Gregson 5/6,2/6.: Gents and Ladies Events:_ D Iliff/I Duffy v. A Mort/C Wilson 6/5,1/6: P Murphy/M Winstanley v. R Ward/S Charters 5/6,6/2: L Crossan/E Roberts v. P Treanor/R Jones 4/6,5/6. There were some very close scores and several tiebeaks in this match which reflects the strength in depth of the club. However the final score was Ormskirk 5, 4 points, Ormskirk 4, 12 points.
Ormskirk 6 went to North Meols 4 and found points hard to come by. Mixed events began proceedings. Stars here were 2nd pair P McConnell/K Sumner who eased through 6/3,6/3. 4th couple T Sumner/L Murray did well to recover from a lost 1/6 to come back strongly 6/2. In the Ladies events only K Ratoff/K Sumner got on the board with a determined 6/3,6/5 but overall it was a disappointing loss by 5 points to 11 for North Meols 4.
CUP MATCH
Ormskirk 2 were again in action when they were drawn away to Formby HT 2 in the second round of the Trinity Shield. First events on court were the Mixed and Gents Doubles. M & P Webster showed their superior match play to win easily 6/2,6/2. B Sherriff/P Morana started well just losing 4/6 when their opponents stepped on the gas 1/6. B Humphreys is a Gents Singles specialist and it showed as he eased past his opponent 6/2,6/3. S Lawton drew the short straw to play the Ladies Singles, and began well, digging in to take the first set 7/5, but the long after noon took its toll 4/6,3/6. The long established pairing of H Bell/S Crowley took the Ladies Doubles event 6/3,6/4. Ormskirk 2 go through to the semi-finals.
Ormskirk I were at home to Formby I and elected to play levels first. 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker outclassed their opponents 6/1,6/2. 2nd Gents J Allerston. B.Humphreys began the stronger 6/4 but couldn’t keep it up 3/6. 1st Ladies V Cocks/J Watling kept their nerve 6/5 but also fell away 3/6. J Temple/P Webster were unlucky 5/6 then got their revenge 6/5.. Ormskirk 1 were leading 5/3 when the Mixed events began. D Sherriff/V Cocks took a tie-break 6/5 but couldn’t maintain momentum 4/6. 2nd and 3rd pairs lost. B Humphreys/P Webster, normally 2nd team players, did well 6.2 but lost 3/6. Ormskirk I lost this very close match by 7 points to 9 for Formby I.
Ormskirk II went to Aughton I. 1st Mixed lost two nail-biting tiebreaks. 2nd pair P Morana/S Lawton won 6/4 but were pegged back by the same score. K Slater/S Crowley combined strongly 6/5,6/2. D Sherwood/S Iliff were in charge 6/4,6/1. 1st Gents B Sherriff/P Morana began in terrific form 6/1 but their opponents had other ideas coming back 6/4. K Slater/D Sherwood were much too powerful 6/1,6/3. 1st Ladies lost. An injury to an Ormskirk player handed the win to Aughton and at the end of the night it was an 8/8 draw.
Ormskirk III went to Mawdesley and found the going tough. Only 4th Mixed G Birchall/A Vernon got in the points 4/6,6/2. Stars of the night were youngsters J Olverson/J Hobson with a gutsy 6/5,6/5. An Ormskirk Gent was injured and with both Ladies pairs going down the result was Ormskirk III, 3 points, Mawdesley II, 13 points.
Ormskirk IV entertained Formby HT 3 and opened proceedings with mixed events. G Helm/V Jones had a topsy-turvy match, losing 1.6 but coming back strongly 6/1. A Mort/C Winrow lost a close 5/6 then dug deep 6/4. G George/R Jones used all their court know-how 6/3,6/4 as did C Wilson/J Pierce 6/5,6/3. 1st Gents G Helm/G George had to concentrate 6/5,6/4. A Mort/C Wilson played with increasing confidence 6/3,6/1. 1st Ladies V Jones/C Winrow were barely troubled 6/2,6/2. 2nd Ladies lost but it was no problem as Ormskirk IV won by 12 points to 4 for FHT III.
Ormskirk V were drawn at home against Blundellsands II with Mixed events played first. 1st pair lost. 2nd pair R Ward/J Gregson began tentatively but got themselves together to take a tiebreak. P Murphy/C Price took a tiebreak 6/5 then were handed the second set. K O’Sullivan/P Hesketh began well 6/3 but lost concentration 2/6. Despite some close matches all the rest went to the visitors with the closing score at 4 points to Ormskirk V, 12 points to Blundellsands II.
Ormskirk VI went to Formby V. 1st Mixed D Iliff/K Sumner were hit with a 6/1 set but did well to recover 6/3. A loss at 2nd pair was offset at 4th Mixed by S McGabhann/L Murray who were dominant 6/2,6/1. 3rd Mixed S Charters/E Lawton shared the honours 2/6,6/4. 1st gents lost. 2nd Gents S Charters/S McGabhann were in great form 6/3,6/3. Stars of the night were K Sumner/J Campbell who allowed their opponents just one game. A loss at 2nd Ladies meant that the final score was a draw with 8 points for Ormskirk VI, and the same for Formby V.
Ormskirk 1 travelled to Mawdesley 1 who are proving to be one of the strongest teams in the Premier Division. 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker opened their account with a blistering 6/1 but then their opponents recovered to take a tiebreak. P Thomson/M Webster were nip and tuck 4/6,6/4. Both Ladies pairs lost. 1st Mixed D Sherriff/V Cocks were slow 2/6 but surged back strongly 6/1. R Staziker/J Watling were caught cold 0/6 but they also staged a remarkable comeback 6/2. No further sets were won so it finished Ormskirk 1, 4 points, Mawdesley 1, 12 points.
Ormskirk 2 were similarly put to the sword by Mawdesley 2. 1st gents B Humphreys/P Morana were the stars as they were invincible 6/0,6/1. It was left to B Sherriff/H Bell at 4th Mixed to make a fight of it. They just missed the tiebreak 5/6 then dug deep 6/4. It was a disappointing result for Ormskirk 2, with 3 points to 13 for Mawdesley 2.
Ormskirk 3 were at home to Aughton 2 and played the mixed events first. 3rd pair J Hobson/A Vernon began in awesome style 6/0 but let their opponents back in 4/6. J Olverson/V Jones dictated play strongly 6/2,6/1. 1st Gents D Sherwood/K Slater quickly took the first set 6/1 but let it slip 3/6. Talented youngsters J Hobson/J Olverson were much too strong as they triumphed 6/1,6/0. V Jones and A Vernon were again in the points as they grabbed both sets 6/2. This meant at the end of the contest it was a draw 8 points each.
Ormskirk 4 went to Blundellsands. Despite some close matches only 2nd Ladies K Sumner/L Ashcroft averted a whitewash as they won well 6/2,6/2. Blundellsands 2 scored 14 points, Ormskirk 4 had 2.
Ormskirk 5 travelled to Formby HT with the mixed events first on court. 1st pair C Wilson/K Ratoff edged a second set tiebreak. I Duffy/R Jones gained in confidence as they won 6/5,6/1. The next points came at 2nd Gents for R Ward/P McConnell a winning combination of youth and experience 6/2,6/5. 2nd Ladies J Pierce/J Gregson lost the first set 3/6 but would not give in as they won the second set 6/4. It was an overall loss for Ormskirk 5 by 6 points to 10 for FHT4.
Ormskirk 6 were the third Ormskirk team to face opposition from Mawdesley and suffered a similar fate, this time at the hands of their third team. 1st Mixed C Merriman/J Campbell nipped ahead 6/4 but couldn’t hold on 3/6. S McGabhann/E Roberts did well to recover from a lost 2/6 to win 6/4. Only 1st Gents had anything to celebrate. C Merriman/S McGabhann went ahead 6/5 but couldn’t maintain their form 2/6. The final result was a disappointing 3 points to Ormskirk 6, the other 13 going to Mawdesley 3.
Ormskirk 1 were at home to Formby HT1 but were without a regular man and woman. Husband and wife team P and M Webster stepped up and acquitted themselves well. 1st Gents D Sherriff/P Thomson were edged out 4/6 but came back strongly 6/2. J Allerston/M Webster were unlucky in the tie-break 5.6 but dug deep 6/4. 1st Ladies V Cocks/J Watling were shellshocked 1/6 before getting their game plan together 6/4. 2nd Ladies lost. 1st Mixed D Sherriff/V Cocks began slowly 3/6 before recovering strongly 6/2. Stars of the night were P Thomson/J Watling who took both points 6/3,6/4. J Allerston/J Temple were tentative 1/6 but fought well 6/5. M & P Webster grabbed the tiebreak 6/5 but fell away 1/6. The result was a draw 8 points each.
Ormskirk 2 were without three regular ladies, one playing up, one injured and one away but their replacements were up to the task. Asked by Carlton to play mixed events first D Birchall/S Iliff set off confidently 6/2 but were pulled back 3/6. B Humphreys/E Gunstone were too strong for their opponents 6/1,6/2. B Sherriff/S Davison lost 2/6 but this spurred them to revenge 6/0. M Claydon/S Lawton had a tight match sharing honours 6/5,4/6. A loss at 1st Gents was offset by B Humphreys/M Claydon 6/5,6/2. 1st Ladies S Iliff/E Gunstone halved 3/6,6/3 while S Davison/S Lawton had all the answers 6/1,6/2. The final result was a win for Ormskirk 2 by 10 points to 6 for Carlton 1.
Ormskirk 3 went to Formby 3 and played levels first. The only success was at 2nd Gents where K Slater/J Olverson were in great form 6/1,6/3. 1st Mixed P Morana/J Crompton missed out on a tiebreak but roared back with a bagel set 6/0. D Sherwood/A Vernon were pushed all the way but held their nerve 6/4,6/5. With the other events going to Formby 3 the score was Ormskirk 3, 5 points, Formby 3, 11 points.
Ormskirk 4 took on Formby HT3 with mixed events to start proceedings. 1st and 3rd pairs lost. 2nd pair J Hobson/C Winrow were too dominant 6/0,6/2. 4th pair A Mort/K Sumner held the tiebreak 6/5 but couldn’t hold on 4/6. Ormskirk 4 were 3-5 down as the levels began. 1st Gents D Smith/J Hobson hit strongly 6/2,6/5. A Mort/G Helm showed little mercy 6/1,6/0. 1st Ladies V Jones/C Winrow ran away with the first set 6/0 but their opponents stepped up a gear and nearly took the tiebreak. K Ratoff/K Sumner held 6/5 but lost 2/6. However the levels had done well to overcome the deficit and the fixture finished in a 10 point to 6 victory for Ormskirk 4.
Ormskirk 5 were rained off in their match with Town Green, the latter finding it impossible to field a team for the weekend replay. Match to Ormskirk 5 by default.
Ormskirk 6 had little to celebrate in a bruising encounter with Sphynx 3. Stars of the night were the 2nd Mixed pair of P McConnell/J Campbell who dug deep 6/4,6/4, but Sphynx were too strong, winning by 14 points to 2.
Ormskirk 1 went to Blundellsands and were asked to play the mixed events first. 1st pair lost a close 4/6,4/6. 2nd pair R Staziker/J Watling were unlucky 4/6 but took the second set 6/4. P Thomson/F Wisse were unstoppable 6/0 but their opponents pushed them to a tiebreak 6/5. J Allerston/J Temple also suffered 4/6 but redoubled their efforts 6/2. So it was all square as the levels began. 1st gents D Sherriff/R Staziker always kept in front 6/2,6/3 as did P Thomson/J Allerston 6/3,6/2. 1st ladies loss was offset by F Wisse/J Temple who dominated 6/3,6/1. Ormskirk 1 returned home with a victory of 10 points to 6 for Blundellsands 1.
Ormskirk 2 were at home to North Meols 3 and played levels first. B Humphreys/B Sherriff started well 6/3 but just lost a tiebreak 5/6. M Claydon/J McNeil squeezed ahead 6/5 but couldn’t quite hold on 4/6. 1st Ladies S Crowley/S Iliff were the stronger 6/4,6/3. 2nd Ladies were in supreme form losing just one game 6/0,6/1. 1st Mixed B Humphreys/S Crowley set off well 6/3 and were leading in the second set when their opponents upped their game to force and win a tiebreak. An injury to the North Meols captain gave Ormskirk a walkover at 2nd Mixed. M Claydon/S Iliff shared the points 4/6,6/3 and 4th pair J McNeil/S Lawton really cleaned up 6/1,6/3 to give Ormskirk 2 a 12 points to 4 win over North Meols 3.
Ormskirk 3 hosted a very strong Croston 1 and found points hard to win. 1st Mixed P Morana/E Gunstone took the first set narrowly 6/4 but could not hold on 3/6. 3rd Mixed D Birchall/A Vernon were unlucky 4/6 but recovered well 6/2. D Birchall was in the points again at 2nd Gents with K Slater 4/6,6/2 but Croston 1 proved too dominant taking 13 points with 3 for Ormskirk 3.
Ormskirk 4 also struggled in their match with Maghull 1. There was a concession at 2nd Mixed by Maghull. 4th Mixed S Powell/P Hesketh pulled themselves together from a lost 2/6 to come back well 6/1. Talented youngster J Hobson partnered G Helm to a determined 6/5,6/4 but with all other events going to the home team it ended 5 points to Ormskirk 4, 11 to Maghull 1.
Ormskirk 5 went to David Lloyd for a nailbiting match. 1st Mixed pair G George/L Ashcroft(making a welcome return from a long injury break) were made to work 6/5,6/4. C Wilson/R Jones missed out on the tiebreak 5/6 but redoubled their efforts 6/4. 3rd pair lost. 4th pair P Murphy/J Caine were honours even 6/4,4/6. It was all square at the halfway point. G George/C Wilson halved 1st Gents 6/3,5/6. I Duffy/P Murphy played solidly 6/5,6/3. 1st Ladies L Ashcroft/R Jones put all their efforts into a 6/4 first set but fell away 1/6. E Roberts/J Caine went down 3/6 but somehow stayed in it to win the second set 6/4 and gain the valuable point needed to edge the narrow overall win 9-7.
Ormskirk 6 were at home to North Meols 5 and found it hard going. 1st Mixed S Charters/J Campbell gained confidence from a tiebreak to surge ahead 6/0. C Abernethy/S Hughes had a ding-dong battle of two tiebreak sets 5/6,6/5. Ormskirk got a free 2 points with a walkover but that was all as they went down to North Meols 5 by 5 points to 11.
A misunderstanding led to Ormskirk 1 being a lady short when they were at home to North Meols 1 which resulted in 2nd Ladies being conceded to the visitors. 1st Gents D Sherriff/R Staziker began slowly 3/6 but came back strongly 6/3. P Thomson/J Allerston led all the way 6/3,6/3. With a loss at 1st Ladies the deficit was 3 points to 5. During the first events a 2nd team lady was found to step in for the mixed events. D Sherriff/V Cocks had the edge 6/4,6/3. R Staziker/J Watling had lost the first set when bad light stopped play to halve the second set. P Thomson/F Wisse combined well 6/2,6/3. J Allerston partnered ‘supersub’ S Crowley in an exciting 4th pairing 4/6 then to a 6/5 tiebreak. This meant that despite the early problem Ormskirk had squeezed a win over North Meols 1 by 8.5 to 7.5.
Ormskirk 2 went to Formby 3 in appallingly windy conditions which made much of the play a lottery. 1st Gents M Webster/B Humphreys had a topsy-turvy 3/6,6/3. D Birchall/B Sherriff held their nerve to win 2nd Gents 6/4,6/5. 1st Ladies P Webster/S Iliff were pipped 4/6 but recovered well 6/2. H Bell/S Davison toughed out a tie-break 6/5 but with Hilary picking up a shoulder injury fell away 2/6. 1st Mixed M & P Webster showed their experience 6/5,6/2. D Birchall/S Iliff also proved the stronger 6/5,6/3. 3rd pair lost narrowly. B Sherriff/H Bell found it tough to close out games as they lost 0/6 but Sherriff encouraged his injured partner to stick in as they won 6/3. The result was a win for Ormskirk 2 by 10 points to 6.
Ormskirk 3 could not complete their rain-affected match against Carlton 1 so it was replayed later in the week with some enforced alterations to the original team. Captain P Morana partnered J Temple As they halved 1st Mixed 5/6,6/3. 2nd and 3rd pairs lost but 4th pair P Gregson/A Vernon played well 6/4,6/3. 1st Gents P Morana/J Hobson halved 6/4,1/6 as did R Ward/P Gregson 6/4,2/6. It was left to the Ladies to get points on the board. 1st Ladies J Temple/S Lawton edged the 1st set 6/4 which gave them the confidence to pull away 6/1. J Crompton/A Vernon were fortunately unaware that the final outcome depended on them. A dogged 6/4,6/4 ensured that at the end of the night Ormskirk 3 had scored 9 points to 7 for Carlton 1.
Ormskirk 4 felt confident going in to their match with David Lloyd and put the Mixed events on first. J Olverson/E Gunstone just missed out on the tie-break but recovered well 6/3. K Slater/V Jones kept their noses in front 6/3,6/4. J Hobson/K Ratoff started with an easy 6/3 but had to fight harder 6/5. A Mort/C Winrow would not give an inch as they took both tie-break sets. 1st Gents J Olverson/K Slater didn’t get going 2/6 but then found the start button 6/1. J Hobson/A Mort slipped 4/6 but another tie-break went in their favour. 1st Ladies lost but V Jones/C Winrow redressed the balance with a thumping 6/0,6/0, resulting in an 11 - 5 win over David Lloyd.
Ormskirk 5 started confidently with the Mixed events. D Sherwood/K Sumner would not give up 6/5,6/4. 2nd and 3rd pairs lost but S Charters/J Gregson evened matters up with a dominant 6/3,6/2. Hopes were quickly dashed as both Gents pairs lost and an injury to an Ormskirk lady gave Maghull 1st Ladies as well. P Hesketh/J Gregson were unlucky with the tie-break 5.6 but hung in 6/2 to halve 2nd Ladies. This meant a loss for Ormskirk 5 by 5 points to 11 for Maghull 1.
Ormskirk 6 travelled to Hoole and were asked to play Mixed events first. 1st and 2nd pairs lost close matches. 3rd pair D Iliff/J Campbell came through 6/2/6/4. C Wilson/E Roberts had to fight all the way 6/5,6/4. 1st Gents G Birchall/G George came back well from 4/6 to win the next set 6/3. D Iliff/C Wilson had their second successes of the night as they won 6/2,6/3. 1st Ladies lost narrowly but 2nd Ladies J Campbell/E Roberts were in terrific form 62,6/0. Ormskirk 6 sealed victory with a close 9 points to 7 for Hoole.
Ormskirk’s 1st team went to Argyle TC for the opening match of the new season and were asked to play Gents and Ladies events first. 2nd Gents P Thomson/J Allerston were in terrific form as they took both sets 6/3. 2nd Ladies F Wisse/J Temple and their opponents were very evenly matched with a set apiece 4/6,6/4. In the Mixed events P Thomson/F Wisse recovered from a heavy loss 1/6 to claw their way back to take a second set tie 5/6. An injury to a home player gave Ormskirk a concession at 4th Mixed and the evening closed with a loss for Ormskirk 1 by 6 points to 10.
Ormskirk 2 entertained Croston 1 and put the Mixed events on court first. M & P Webster had a topsy-turvy match 6/2,1/6. 2nd Mixed picked up a conceded set due to the lateness of a Croston player. 3rd pair B Humphreys/S Crowley combined well to win 6/3,6/4. 1st Gents M Webster/B Humphreys dominated with a 6/1,6/1 victory. 2nd Gents D Birchall/B Sherriff also had the upper hand 6/2,6/1. Croston’s Ladies were strong in depth and when points were counted Ormskirk 2 and Croston 1 were drawn 8 points each.
Ormskirk 3 were in rampant form against North Meols 3. 1st Mixed M Claydon/S Davison set off confidently 6/2 but were pipped 4/6. P Morana/S Lawton kept their noses in front 6/4,6/2. D Smith/J Crompton held their nerve 6/4,6/4. J Olverson/E Gunstone were barely troubled 6/3,6/1. 1st Gents M Claydon/P Morana combined experience and hard hitting to win 6/3,6/3. D Smith/J Olverson were pushed but held on 6/4,6/4. 1st Ladies S Davison/S Lawton were forced to a tie-break 6/5 from which they romped away 6/0. J Crompton/E Gunstone completed the rout 6/2,6/3. This was a terrific start for Ormskirk 3 with a 15 points to 1 victory.
Ormskirk 4 went to Town Green and opened proceedings with the Mixed events. 1st pair D Sherwood/A Vernon started slowly 3/6 but came back by the same margin. K Slater/V Jones showed little mercy 6/2,6/0. G Birchall/P Treanor played with confidence 6/3,6/1. A Mort/C Winrow put the disappointment of a 4/6 behind them to triumph 6/0. 1st Gents D Sherwood/K Slater kept the pressure on 6/2,6/4. G Birchall/A Mort were awesome inflicting the double bagel 6/0,6/0. 2nd Ladies P Treanor/C Winrow were hesitant 2/6 but recovered strongly 6/1. The final result was a win for Ormskirk 4 by 11 points to 5.
Ormskirk 5 went to Formby Holy Trinity 3 and found the going hard. The only success in the Mixed events came at 2nd pair. D Iliff/K Ratoff won 6/2,6/4 to take both points. K Ratoff was again in the points as she partnered K Sumner at 1st Ladies. They had to work hard for 6/4 but fell away 1/6. The evening ended with a loss for Ormskirk 5 by 3 points to 13.
Ormskirk 6 entertained Birkdale 4 and inflicted a heavy punishment on the visitors. 1st Gents G George/G Helm were fast out of the blocks 6/0 but their opponents rallied with a tie-break, Ormskirk holding on 6/5. P McConnell/S Charters took the first set 6/3 and their opponents conceded the second set. 1st Ladies J Gregson/J Campbell were always in control 6/3,6/3 as were R Jones/P Hesketh with the same scoreline. Ormskirk 5 led by 8-0 when the Mixed events began. G George/J Gregson again began well 6/0 but had to dig in 6/4. G Helm/R Jones made a formidable pair 6.2,6/5. An injury to a visiting player handed a walkover to the 3rd pair. S Charters/P Hesketh completed the whitewash with a steady 6/2, 6/3. This was a splendidly convincing start for Ormskirk 6 who took all 16 points.