Oswestry Tennis Club’s first mixed team knew that they needed to gain points from this week’s penultimate fixture against Woodfield’s first team to ensure retaining their place in Shropshire Group One of the tennis league next season.

The fixture the previous week was cancelled due to their opposition, Team Mosiac, not being able to field a team which resulted in them forfeiting the fixture and awarding it to Oswestry.

With the benefit of home turf their start, like bonfire night, got off with a bang. The first pair of Kat Oakley and Martin Shortt made short work of Woodfield’s first pair for the loss of only three games winning 6-1, 6-2 while the second pair of Josie Macrae and Matt Grice continued the rout with a demolition of Woodfield’s second pair 6-2, 6-3.

In the reverse rubbers Oakley and Shortt again overpowered their opposition in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 with Macrae and Grice producing a similar result 6-3, 6-1 giving Oswestry a well-deserved and fabulous 4-0 win which leaves them currently sitting in third position with their final fixture away to the current league leaders Shrewsbury.

The mixed fourth team played their penultimate fixture at home against Baschurch 2nds.

In the first round rubbers Craig Southern and partner Jo Dalietos took the position of first pair but they came up against a very strong opposing first pairing, especially the lady, who had a very strong serve and tremendous tactical play at the net and as a consequence they lost in straight sets 0-6, 2-6. The second pair of Amanda Coxhead and Craig Nurse also lost to this pair 2-6, 1-6.

However both pairs claimed victory over the Baschurch second pair 6-2, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-1, respectively giving the home side a well-deserved two points.

Their final fixture was a very disappointing way to end the season being unable to field a full squad due to illness and unavailability of a replacement player leaving the pair of Craig Southern and Jo Dalietos to travel to Market Drayton to play two rubbers having forfeited two rubbers.

They got off to a good start taking the first in straight sets but were then up against a fresh pair and although they put up a great fight just losing the first set on a tie-break 6-7 they lost the second.

With only one point this was not enough to avoid relegation as the other teams have many more games in hand so it will be Group Seven for the team next season.