Sidmouth ladies’ B team travelled to Tiverton for their last summer season match on Tuesday in the knowledge that they needed to win at least five points to be promoted into Division Four next summer – and determined to do their best to achieve that, writes Kate Truman.

The ladies home encounter with Tiverton earlier in the year had resulted in a 6-2 win, so they were reasonably confident. However, on arrival at Tiverton, they were faced with a new twenty-something pairing, one of whom was the club coach! Unfazed, captain Marlene Maynard and partner Jackie Ensall took on the youngsters first, easily taking the pace off the ball and outrunning the youngsters to win convincingly, 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, on court number two, Vici Topping and partner Kate Truman had a reasonably straightforward 6-0, 6-3 win over Tiverton’s second pair and four points were in the bag!

Nicely warmed up, Maynard and Ensall won the first set of their second match 6-0 and allowed themselves a little whoop and a shared thumbs up to Topping and Truman – promotion was secured.

The remainder of the evening’s tennis was played in more relaxed, but still determined style, with Maynard and Ensall taking their second set 6-1 and Topping and Truman winning their match 7-5 6-4 to give Sidmouth an outright 8-0 win.

As always, the evening was finished with a fantastic spread of food laid on by Tiverton and a bottle of chilled Prosecco brought along by team captain, Maynard, who clearly had faith in her team!

Special mention also goes to Sarah Peacock, Andrea Cushing, Molly Spalding and Mary Bray who have stepped in to play B team matches throughout the season.

There is, however, little time for the ladies to wallow in self-congratulation, the winter season kicks off with a vengeance this week!