TENNIS: County boys claim Lionel Cox Trophy

A ground-breaking effort from Northants 10&U Boys saw them sweep the board and register an emphatic success in the Lionel Cox Trophy over the bank holiday weekend in Hertfordshire.
CHAMPIONS! - Jakob Bonnett (left), Matthew Moloney and Angel Angelov teamed up to bring the Northants Under 10 Boys success at the Lionel Cox 
Trophy in Hertfordshire over the weekendCHAMPIONS! - Jakob Bonnett (left), Matthew Moloney and Angel Angelov teamed up to bring the Northants Under 10 Boys success at the Lionel Cox 
Trophy in Hertfordshire over the weekend
CHAMPIONS! - Jakob Bonnett (left), Matthew Moloney and Angel Angelov teamed up to bring the Northants Under 10 Boys success at the Lionel Cox Trophy in Hertfordshire over the weekend

The line-up of Jakob Bonnett, Matthew Moloney and Angel Angelov were all unbeaten as challenges from Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire bit the dust before an equally impressive final triumph against the host county.

Matches were spread across Saturday and Sunday as traditional minnows Northants carved out a ‘Leicester City’ style path to glory.

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Corby Performance squad coach Justin Chacksfield pulls Oundle member Bonnett under his wing along with Moloney (County) and Angelov (Dallington) and was able to reflect on an exciting few days.

“These events allow me to assess where we are in our different age categories and it was pleasing that the Under 10 girls and Under 12 Boys both finished sixth out of 10 counties as well,” he remarked.

Grade 2 singles tournaments at Sutton and Nottingham in the run up to the Lionel Cox had seen Bonnett finish third and fourth respectively, while Moloney bagged a couple of quarter-final performances and now both lads have been selected to represent the eastern region this week in a ‘Davis Cup’ style event against other areas at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton.

The 10 & under girls were represented by Charlotte Johns, Amie Reynolds and Megan Ransford, while Albert Sitwell, Henry Grayson and Sam Thomas stepped up to the mark for the 12 & under boys.

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The 12 & under girls line up of Maisie Payne, Lottie Heaver and Amy Harris beat Oxfordshire in their last match to finish ninth and while the 9s generally found it tough, mention should be made of Alexandra Manojlovic who won four of her five matches at the head of the order.

NORTHANTS 14 & under squads had a generally tough time in their respective county cups at Hasssocks and Malvern respectively.

The boys lost to Kent and Berkshire despite wins on both days by Max Graham and one form Alex Ballinger.

But on the Monday, Shropshire were beaten 2-0 with doubles successes by Ballinger/Graham and Harry Collins/Jovan Kangrga.

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The girls lost to Surrey and Warwickshire but won a Monday shoot out after a 3-3 draw with Staffordshire, Isabella Lloyd wining a singles while there were doubles victories for Lloyd/Elita Silins and Abigail Pearce/Emily York.

NORTHAMPTON Tennis Club is staging the Baron Cup at Westwood Way, a competition open to all players from this county, on Sunday May 15, .

Entries close next Wednesday for the round robin men’s doubles tournament, which was first contested in 1983.

The entry fee is £20, which includes a breakfast roll before the action gets underway at 10am and then afternoon tea.

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The winners will pick up a cheque for £250, while the runners-up walk away with £100, prize money going down to fourth place.

All spectators are welcome.

Entries with payment and full contact details should be directed to Gabrielle Richardson on 01760 444444 or 07734 144147.

NORTHANTS Over 65 men play their second summer inter-county fixture on Monday when they face Wiltshire in Swindon.

They opened up with a 4-1 loss to Somerset at King’s Park. Promotion in 2015 means Northants Over 45 men will be competing in the national Division Two which begin on June 4 away to Kent.

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They then face Suffolk and Durham & Cleveland at home (June 26 and July 10) before visiting Norfolk on August 21.

DEFENDING John Henry League men’s champions Corby Tennis Centre A might be unbeaten after their first three matches of the summer season, but their results have still raised a few eyebrows.

On Monday night the Corby club drew a second match at Duston United A having been held in a split strength internal affair against their B, sandwiching a 6-2 victory at home to Dallington A, currently lying fourth.

Alan Jordan and Jordan Parker have picked up maximum hauls in both the internal and Duston contests, a feat matched by Parker and Joe Tyler in the Dallington tussle where Corby’s second pair Jon Ortonowski and Mhaki Zivotic beat the visitors’ second pair of Joel Wood and Oli Reis but lost 7-6, 6-3 to Dan Pawlusek and Steve Guy.

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Duston United A picked up points with David Barr/Connor Evans and Ian McIlwaine/Richard Smith both beating Andy Sawiak/Paul White.

While all of this seems to have opened the door before Jack Haworth returns from America, County A also dropped points in a 6-2 victory against their own B team and sit two points behind with a match in hand.

Barry Wilson and Dave Garrett picked up three rubbers, as did Ben Foster and Henry Masters against the B team pairings of Cameron Yuill/James Cole and Dave Brown/Tony Pratt.

In Ladies Division One, Dallington A head the charts but an 8-0 win over County B was followed by a 6-2 success against their own B team.

Harriet Leach has been the only constant in Dallington line-ups also featuring Alex Lewis, Zoe Yuill, Abigail Pearce, Imogen Allen and Steph Reynolds.

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