Thornhill youngsters celebrate tennis title

The Thornhill team comprised a mixture of experience in captain Tom Davies and Harry Hunter, along with four rookie players Max Chatterton, Matthew Bentham, Liam Fearnley and Adam Luke.

Thornhill made an excellent start to the season with an 8-0 win over Denby Dale and then secured a well earned draw against a strong Wellhouse team, when they were marshalled by vice-captain Chatterton.

The unfamiliar shale courts at Grove provided Thornhill another test but with 15-year old Davies back in the team, he quickly turned the screws on the opposition to win 6-0, 6-0, 6-1.

Grove fought back to put themselves in contention for a draw going into the last set of the match.

Thornhill Academy’s 11-year-old Bentham, playing in the junior league for the first time, showed great skill to read the game and turn the tables on his opponent to take the deciding set 7-6 and boost Thornhill’s title hopes.

Thornhill then produced some outstanding tennis to dominate the second half of the season, to the delight of coach Tee Moyo, who said: “I am very happy for the lads, they worked hard, showed individual mental toughness when under pressure and overall they displayed fantastic team work.

“From the beginning they really wanted to win the title and it was a joy to watch them have so much fun playing tennis both home and away.

“Harry Hunter was a key player in the team, displaying aggressive tennis to win all his matches.

“Max Chatterton showed steely determination as vice-captain and teamed up with Matthew or Adam to achieve vital doubles results.

“Liam Fearnley, playing his first competitive season for Thornhill, was a great asset to the team.

“Thriving under pressure was the most inexperienced member of the team 11-year-old Adam Luke.

“Playing in this league for the first time, Adam quickly discarded his initial nervousness to play some superb tennis against older and bigger opponents. His match play was excellent and gives Thornhill juniors good depth in players as they move up a division next year.

“Captain Tom Davies, in his last year as a junior, not only impressed against tennis players of a high standard but ensured his team remained focused and led them to a second junior title for the club in 10 years.”

Davies and Hunter also gave good accounts when helping Thornhill’s intermediate team to their title win.

Thornhill juniors welcome new players to training sessions at Thornhill C&BC, based at the Combs.

Coaching takes place on Saturday (9am to 1pm) and under floodlights on Tuesdays from 4.15pm.

More information about the club is available from their website at www.thornhillcricket andbowlingclub.co.uk/tennis.

Cleckheaton tennis player Morgan Coles defended his Calderdale Championship Under-16s title at Queens Tennis Club in Halifax.

Morgan, who is a pupil at Lightcliffe Academy in Halifax, reached the final after a winning a tie break shoot-out 7-1.

The 15-year-old then went on to win the final 4-1 and complete back-to-back championship successes.