Shropshire women clinch tennis clean sweep to serve up promotion

The seven-strong team claimed victory in all three matches from Friday to Sunday to clinch promotion from group six B – the competition's lowest level – after just one season. They will take their place in group five next winter after a 9-0 triumph over Cumbria and 7-2 successes over the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man proved enough for them to reach their target.

Captain Holly Mowling said: "We are delighted to get back up to group five.

"We were really disappointed to down to the lowest group so it's great to have put that right. When we won the first two points on Sunday against the Isle of Man we knew we were promoted, which was a great feeling."

Shropshire won all nine rubbers on day one against Cumbria before dropping just two in each of their next two matches. Chloe Hughes got Shropshire off to a winning start against Channel Islands with a 6-4, 6-2 success against Rebecca Edwards before Mowling defeated Kirsten Morthur 6-2, 6-2 and Imogen Cowper beat Natasha Forrest 6-2, 7-5.

Anna van der Stap maintained Shropshire's winning run, beating Eva Hurst in three sets, and Jo Bowen and Mia Loney then claimed comfortable straight-sets wins against Tracy Hubert and Clare Clark respectively.

Cowper and Hughes then lost their doubles leg in straight sets, as did Loney and Van Der Stap, but there was a doubles victory for Bowen and Joanna Fowler. Hughes lost the opening rubber against Isle of Man but crushing straight-sets wins in matches two and three for Mowling and Cowper secured the points needed for promotion. Van Der Stap, Bowen and Loney then claimed straight-sets wins in singles rubbers and there were doubles wins for the teams of Mowling and Van Der Stap and Bowen and Fowler.