BOLTON Tennis Mixed League Division Two strugglers Markland Hill B made the most of their handicap to triumph in the Cecil Cup first round.

They had a tough draw against a consistently strong Hawkshaw A, even taking into account the handicap of 40.5 games.

After the mixed sets, Hawkshaw were on target with a games tally of 24-9, but the Markland Hill men put in a strong performance with both pairings of Dave Saunders/Richard Flanagan and Sam Muller/Stef Halsall winning their sets against Ed Brown/James Edgington.

These wins proved crucial as Markland Hill won 71.5-66.

Barrow Bridge B lost the initiative against Lostock D early in their match.

Giving a handicap of 39.5 games, the Lostock team had soon pegged that back, taking all the mixed sets with a 24-6 advantage.

Barrow Bridge fared far better in the men's and ladies' sets, with Charlotte Booth/ Julie Jackson doing particularly well in beating Diane Farrow/Rosemary Swerdlow 6-4, but Lostock just did enough to win the match 70-67.5.

Holcombe Brook C looked to have a very tough challenge against Division Two leaders David Lloyd Abitare B, but they were off to a flying start in the mixed sets with Pam Bracewell/Dan Gisbourne and Sheila Collins/Jeremy Stuart both recording wins for the Bury side.

With a handicap of 42.5 to overcome, only taking the mixed sets 17-13 gave David Lloyd too big a mountain to climb.

The final score was 77.5-63 to Holcombe Brook C.

The importance for the lower-ranked team to win sets if they are to be successful was again emphasised, as Bradshaw C won at Meadow Hill.

David Lord/Sandra Telleck and Jamie Jackson/ Sylvia Moore both won for the Bradshaw team, so that Meadow Hill were only able to claw back two games overall in the mixed sets.

Bradshaw still had to perform well as the handicap was only 18.5, but they stuck to their task, finishing winners by 63.5-57.

There were also wins for Lostock B, Hawkshaw D, Lostock C and Ellesmere.

Fixtures

Week six

Tonight

BSF Junior League

Division One: Bradshaw A v Holcombe Brook SC A, Lostock A v Markland Hill A.

Division Two: Holcombe Brook SC B v David Lloyd Abitare A.

Division Three: David Lloyd Abitare B v Bradshaw B, Hawkshaw A v Lostock B.

Division Five: Markland Hill D v Hawkshaw C.

Tomorrow

BSF Junior League

Division Two: Markland Hill B v Winstanley.

Division Four: Lostock C v Markland Hill C.

Monday

BSF Men’s League

Division One: Chorley A v David Lloyd Abitare A, Holcombe Brook A v David Lloyd (Chorley) A, Leigh A v Ellesmere A, Markland Hill A v Hawkshaw A.

Division Two: David Lloyd Abitare B v Walmer A, David Lloyd (Chorley) B v Tyldesley A, Ellesmere B v Leigh B, Lostock A v Lostock B.

Division Three: David Lloyd Abitare C v Darwen, Hawkshaw B v Markland Hill B, Roe Green A v Elton Vale A, Winton v Eagley A.

Division Four: Barrow Bridge A v Bradshaw A, Claremont v Chorley B, Eagley B v Meadow Hill A, Elton Vale B v Holcombe Brook B.

Division Five: Bradshaw B v Markland Hill C, Lostock C v Holcombe Brook C, Monton v David Lloyd Abitare D, Walmer B v Ellesmere C.

Division Six: Astley & Tyldesley v Hawkshaw C, Eagley C v Chorley C, Markland Hill D v Bradshaw C, Tyldesley B v Lostock D.

Division Seven: Hawkshaw D v Bellingham, Holcombe Brook D v Roe Green B, Meadow Hill B v Eagley D.

Tuesday

BSF Mixed League

Division One: Chorley v Lostock A, Markland Hill A v Hawkshaw A, Walmer A v David Lloyd Abitare A.

Division Two: David Lloyd Abitare B v Bradshaw A, David Lloyd Chorley v Ellesmere, Hawkshaw B v Markland Hill B.

Division Three: Barrow Bridge A v Holcombe Brook C, Bradshaw B v David Lloyd Abitare C, Holcombe Brook B v Longsight St Catherine’s.

Division Four: Holcombe Brook D v Lostock C, Lostock D v Elton Vale, Meadow Hill v Walmer B.

Division Five: David Lloyd Abitare D v Lostock E, Hawkshaw D v Markland Hill D, Hawkshaw E v Barrow Bridge B.

Wednesday

BSF Afternoon League

David Lloyd (Bolton) A v Walmer, Holcombe Brook v Lostock A, Lostock B v David Lloyd (Bolton) B.