INKBERROW may have claimed a share of the spoils with leaders Stratford B but they could not stop their rivals from retaining their Prudden Road Surfacing Tennis League crown.

It was the first time the champions had dropped a point during the current campaign but their cause was not helped when they had to concede two rubbers when a player failed to turn up.

From the rubbers that were played, the top pair of Callum Bailey and Rob Slatter took Stratford past the post with straight set wins as they beat Inkberrow's Tom Trott and Jim Richardson 6-3, 6-1, and Graeme Rankin and Adam Hill 6-1, 6-2.

Third placed Studley confirmed their position with a 3-1 victory over a Claverdon A side struggling to avoid the drop. Dave Innes and Chris Hughes proved the heroes for Studley beating an in-form Pieter van Hengel and Andy Williams 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 before overwhelming Mike Bradley and Brian Bayliss 6-1, 6-0.

Peter Wersocki and Chris McGregor beat Bradley and Bayliss 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, but went down to a resurgent van Hengel and Williams 4-6, 3-6.

Studley B kept up their Division Three challenge with a 3-1 victory over Littleton. And Bidford B claimed a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Shipston B to go four points clear of bottom club Henley.