Men's Summer County Cup

At the end of July, Bucks Men and Women competed in the amazing competition that is County Week. Playing against a different county each day, contesting 9 rubbers versus each county over 5 days, it’s a marathon event that takes a special kind of player to be able to commit and endure the week.

Bucks Men were in Group 2 at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, battling it out against some tough counties. Up first were a Middlesex team with Davis Cup winner Dominic Inglot and the team fought well, but couldn’t get over the line in any of the 3 match tiebreaks, losing 2-7. Herts were next and a first chance at victory, 3-3 after the first two rounds of matches. Unfortunately, Herts would prove too strong, taking a 5-4 win and a demoralising end to the day.

Day 3 would be equally tough, with Cambridgeshire securing a win after two rounds, before we finished on a high with a couple of wins at the end of the day in a 3-6 loss. This meant a must win match against Kent in tricky conditions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be and Kent won 9-0 to relegate us to Group 3. The team would salvage some pride at the end of the week, beating Essex 5-1. Toby finished with six wins from his ten matches and there were five wins for both Barney and Michael.

A huge thanks to Gavin McKinlay, who has led the team for ten years and announced that this was his last. His dedication, passion, commitment and love for this event shines through and we appreciate everything he has given on and off the court over the years! Thanks also to Michael Shaw who has agreed to take on the captaincy going forward.

Team: Gavin McKinlay (captain), Calum Fairey, Miles Groom, Finn Lester, Toby Martin, Calum McKinlay, Michael Shaw, Barney Smith, Lee Tribe

Results: Middlesex 2-7, Hertfordshire 4-5, Cambridgeshire 3-6, Kent 0-9, Essex 5-1