Over-45s are confident after step up
Last updated: 20/10/2009 12:28:00
Norfolk men's over-45s team celebrated promotion to group two after winning their first three, out of four, matches in a competitive group three - the only defeat coming with promotion in the bag. The season began with a 3-2 win over Lincolnshire, highlighted by Ivan Vorlicek's singles victory over well-known circuit player Mike Burnett. They followed up with a 5-0 home win over Avon and a 4-1 beating of former Group One outfit Bedfordshire, who included British No 6 Paul Hammond.
The loss to Berkshire was the only dent in the season for the squad of Vorlicek (Norwich), Kevin Baker (Norwich), captain Steve Pye (King's Lynn), Kelvin Robinson (Downham Market), Richard Brown (King's Lynn) and Mark Nicholls (Norwich). They will be strengthened for Group Two by the return of Robin Chipperfield and the availability of Stuart Hunter.
The men's over-55 team fought valiantly with a minimal squad to record wins over Somerset and Cambridgeshire but suffered defeats at the hands of Gloucestershire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Richard Lawrence played well despite being new at county level and the squad were unfortunate not to beat Suffolk after an early injury to Alan Hudson.
The over-60's men had a roller-coaster season. Victories over North Wales, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire secured their Division Two status but promotion was missed after defeats to Cumbria and neighbours Suffolk.
An opening 4-1 win in Wrexham against North Wales saw newcomer Jeremy Cameron open his account with a fine singles win. At home to Cumbria only a doubles win for Jim Wiseman and Tony Spurgeon prevented a whitewash. They had less problems on the fast indoor courts of Easton College, beating Lincolnshire 4-1 but then suffered a whitewash against Suffolk at Ipswich.
Norfolk took a full squad of five to the final fixture against table-topping Nottinghamshire and a hard fought singles win for Huggins and a doubles win for Spurgeon and Wiseman put Norfolk 2-1 ahead at the halfway stage. Huggins and Ivan Winter teamed up to win the important third rubber for Norfolk as they ran out 3-2 winners.
The over-65s men's team had a disappointing season losing all five matches to Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester and Nottinghamshire.
The over-70s competed well in a strong Division Two but only managed one win from four - a 5-4 against Yorkshire at Easton College in which Mike Hadfield and Philip Hutchinson won both of their doubles matches and Tony Hilton and John Garwood picked up a vital win over the Yorkshire second pair.