Winter League 2020–21

For many years, some of the tennis clubs in and around Colchester have competed in the Winter League, organised by Wivenhoe Tennis Club with matches held on their courts and those of Kirby Tennis Club. During the heady days in the summer of 2020, when it seemed as though COVID was starting to recede, it was decided that the winter league should go ahead as usual, starting in September and finishing in March. Little did anyone know!

Things started well enough in September — but the long, hot summer of 2020 gave way to a dark, wet autumn and quite a few of the matches had to be re-arranged. Then came the resurgence of COVID and the November lockdown, so no matches for a month. Matches resumed in December but many of them were also rained off. Then came the lockdown from January to the end of March 2021, so no matches then either.

As it became clear that tennis would be able to resume from April, the clubs involved all agreed to finish the league — and so they have, with the last match taking place in blazing sunshine at the end of May, only two months late!

Spring Lane's men's team won their league by a substantial margin, accumulating almost twice as many games as the second team, Kirby. In the women's competition, Kirby's team were also fairly convincing winners, with Spring Lane's B team coming second. The mixed league was much closer: Spring Lane's A team pipped Kirby's A team by only 5 games over the 7 matches. Congratulations to the winners — but well done to everyone who competed for their steely determination to finish the league, whatever the weather and pandemic threw at them!

Men Competition
team	played	for	against
Spring Lane	6	40	8
Kirby	6	22	26
Lexden Hill	6	19	29
Wivenhoe	6	15	33

Ladies Competition
team	played	for	against
Kirby A	8	45	19
Spring Lane B	8	37	27
Kirby B	8	29	35
Spring Lane A	8	26	38
Wivenhoe	8	23	41

Mixed Competition
team	played	for	against
Spring Lane A	7	43	12.5
Kirby A	7	38	18
Lexden Hill	7	33	22.5
Wivenhoe B	7	31	25
Spring Lane B	7	30	26
Wivenhoe A	7	25	31
Kirby B	7	19	37
Wivenhoe C (B'sea)	7	4	52