Coniston Tennis Club has won the Barrow and District Tennis League for the fourth year in a row.
It is only the third time this feat has been accomplished in the fifty-year history of the league.
The title was won away on Coniston’s penultimate matchday at fiercest rivals Hawcoat Park.
Coniston regulars Peter Helme, Mike Code, Jeff Atkinson and Steve Bushell were supported by Dan Johnson, John Bell, as well as Richard Byle and Roger Kuhlman.
Hawcoat Park’s best player John Burns was paired with county tennis player Alex Teckam whilst Mark Street teamed up with Greg Pierce.
Burns and Teckham provided the match of the season in two hours of spell-binding tennis with Byle and Kuhlman, who eventually edged out their rivals 10-7 in a deciding champions tie-break.
The battle of the second pairings between Coniston’s Atkinson & Bushell and Hawcoat Park’s Street and Pearce was just as enthralling. Coniston lost the first set 7-5 but the ‘Villagers’ levelled proceedings 6-2 before going on to win the ensuing tie-break 10-8.
Coniston ended the season with an 8-0 thrashing over Broughton.
Acting chairperson Dave Billing presented Helme with the Barrow League trophy at the Coniston Sports and Social Centre.
By winning the league, the Villagers qualify for the Cumbria Cup where they will attempt to become the first side in the history of the competition to be crowned County Champions for a third time.
The matches will be played at Hawcoat Park in Barrow on September 17.
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