FROM the time Hawkshaw 'A' and Markland Hill 'A' booked their place in this year's BSF Tennis League's Cecil Cup Final, it was always going to be a close run match.

It was a repeat of last year's final which Hawkshaw won - and they were giving five games' start.

The mixed sets started with a victory for Markland Hill, thanks to a top class performance by Martin Bromley and Sally Howell. They beat Jonathon Davies and Rachel Branagan 6-1 but this was virtually cancelled out immediately as Lisa Cartwright and Neil Haydock shocked Phil Shacklady and Jane Kehoe 6-2.

The remaining mixed sets produced 6-5 scorelines, with Jamie Baldwin and Vicky Boon for Hawkshaw, and Paul Bentley and Rebecca Dennard for Markland Hill claiming the wins.

Hawkshaw second ladies pairing of Rachel Branagan and Vicky Boon beat HiII's No. 1 pairing, of Jane Kehoe and Sally Howell 6-4, and this was followed by a similar score for Jamie Baldwin and Jonathon Davies against Martin Bromley and Phil Shacklady.

Things started to look even better for Hawkshaw when Neil Haydock and Andrew Jackson beat David Buckley and Paul Bentley 6-3 to put their team in the lead for the first time.

At this stage Markland Hill must have realised that it was all or nothing, and the surprises began to happen with Jane Kehoe and Sally Howell overcoming Lisa Cartwright and Helen Teasdale 6-2.

Caroline Pyatt and Rebecca Dennard then beat Rachel Branagan and Vicky Boon by the same scoreline, but on the men's courts, Hawkshaw's Haydock and Jackson beat Bromley and Shacklady 6-3 and Baldwin and Davies beat Buckley and Bentley 6-2.

With the scores level, this left the last set on court. Caroline and Rebecca didn't give an inch against Lisa and Helen. They were never in trouble and by virtue of some steady, forceful play, they went on to win 6-2 for a final match scoreline in favour of Markland Hill 'A' by 58-54.

It was an exciting match to watch with fine performances from Neil Haydock (10 games up on the day) and Jamie Baldwin (7 up) but it was the greater strength of the Markland Hill Ladies, especially the consistency of Rebecca Dennard, that proved to be the deciding factor.