ANOTHER bumper summer of tennis in the MANTIS Sport Herefordshire and Worcestershire League was capped by Pershore ladies A etching their name into the record books.

Their maiden victory in Division One saw them pip Stourbridge A and Bromsgrove A on games won with all three tied on 70 points.

Rachel Prudden was Pershore’s leading contributor with 11 wins from 14 while captain Sarah McCormick won 10/14 and Michelle Collings 9/12.

McCormick, also the club chairman, said: “I am so proud of this team. They have played from the heart and won matches from seemingly impossible situations. It’s just brilliant and an amazing honour for Pershore.”

In Men’s Division One, Worcester A reigned supreme with James Attwood, Jon Bradshaw, Josh Hughes and Billy Wright leading the player stats after another dominant campaign.

They finished eight points clear of Manor Park A.

Worcester A also denied Manor Park A in Mixed Division One, this time on games won with both teams accruing 50 points.

Hughes and Kate Horsburgh led the mixed stats tables with 10 wins from 10 matches.

Worcester enjoyed a strong season throughout the leagues.

Their ladies B team won Division Four East and the C side Division Eight East.

The men also tasted more success as the C players won Division Four East and the F group were crowned Division Nine East champions.

In the mixed leagues, Worcester again proved a force with the D team topping Division Three West and the G side winning Division Five West.

Droitwich also enjoyed the mixed leagues with their A players winning Division Two and their C group Division Five East.

Around 3,000 players from clubs across the counties competed in the 34 leagues, signalling the strength in depth of tennis in the area.

Richard Herriman, chairman of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Lawn Tennis Association, said: “The MANTIS Sport-sponsored league continues to prove extremely popular, providing competition for all levels and abilities.

“It has been a staple of the club scene over the years and we are working hard to promote tennis and get even more people playing, whether socially or competitively.

“Tennis feels as though it is very much on the up and we are looking to maintain that momentum.”