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Rawreth A are the Southend Summer League Division 1 champions for 2026 beating arch rivals Basildon A by a solitary point! Two postponed League games during the season kept Rawreth under the radar until the final two weeks when they finally hit the top spot after three successive 9-0 victories, whilst Basildon dropped vital points against Hockley A and succumbed to a surprise defeat (their first of the season) to Hadleigh A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going into the final week Rawreth led by one point knowing they had to better Basildon\u2019s result to clinch the title but if they finished level on points they would finish second on \u2018goal difference\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Playing first in the week Basildon did everything they possibly could to put the pressure on Rawreth as they whitewashed Stanford A 9-0 with just one set conceded all evening. Ian Wall, Les Hoey and Andy Seaman must have thought they had one hand on the trophy at that stage meaning their rivals had to record a 9-0 win against Matchpoint in their final game. Could they do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vital match started very much in Rawreth\u2019s favour a doubles win and three singles left them 4-0 up and with confidence rising they entered the second doubles. Aaron Chandler and Daniel Zeffie for Rawreth and Stephen Heard and Samuel Morgan for Matchpoint. Suddenly, however, the tide turns and the Rawreth boys found themselves 2-0 down and one game away from losing the title. Could they turn it round? Well, yes, a nailbiting fourth set finished 11\/9 in their favour and they held their nerve to win the next two 11\/5 11\/4. 5-0 and all to play for!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the previous game was tight then the next was even tighter. Keith Adams took the first set 14\/12 against Heard but was pegged back immediately 11\/8. One set all. Adams took the third 12\/10 and again was pegged back by Heard 11\/8 again. Two sets all. Deciding set and Adams led decisively 10 – 4 but was gradually pulled back to 10 \u2013 9 and then, with nerves jangling again, Adams clinched it to make it 6-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next two singles went according to the form book as Aaron Chandler and Zeffie won their matches. Into the final game of the evening, the doubles, and it has to be a win for Rawreth to clinch the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adams and Chandler lined up against Heard and Richard Sloman and, after winning the first set, they found themselves 2-1 down to the Matchpoint boys and, once more, one set away from losing the title. Change of tactics? Words of encouragement, or threats, from non playing captain Paul Brown? Who knows what it was but the tide turned and Rawreth won 11\/6 11\/3 and grabbed the title from under Basildon\u2019s nose! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well done Rawreth and commiserations to Basildon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The only other game this week was at the other end of the table where the two bottom teams, Basildon B and Hockley B, met to decide who went home with the wooden spoon. Hockley were seven points adrift of Basildon before the match and with only one win to their name all season. Basildon had won their previous two games to take them off the bottom of the table and seemingly in a good position to stay there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the night however Hockley tore the form book apart and raced through to a stunning 9-0 victory. Stuart (Disco Stu) Adshead, Eamonn Hall and Dave Chenery were in fine form with just two games going to five sets. Hall had to fight off a come back from Dawn Baldry to win 11\/9 in the fifth and Adshead and Chenery did likewise in the final doubles beating Caroline Cole and Chudi Ukpaka 11\/8 in the fifth also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You could argue Hockley had been saving the best until last and that certainly turned out to be the case as they left Basildon holding the wooden spoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>