TENNIS: All time high for Lincolnshire Boys

Left to right - Joe Woolley (Louth), Sean Hodkin (Scunthorpe), Ed Colclough (Lincoln), Seb Darke (Louth), Ed Allinson Captain - Louth, Felix Beech (Stamford), Henry Beesley (Boston), Andrew Isaac (Grantham), Josh Elliot (Louth) EMN-150203-110422001

On paper Lincolnshire were not favourites to win the group, they battled it out against Devon, Nottinghamshire and Cambridgeshire and on Sunday, March 1, it came down to a straight fight for promotion between Lincs and Cambs.

The sheer hard work and determination of all eight of the boys from Lincolnshire meant they won several close battles and managed to beat Cambridgeshire 5-4 in rubbers.

Captain Ed Allinson said: “Words cannot express how proud I am of each and every one of the boys.

“Our success is without doubt owed to the dedication and determination of the current team.”

Ed, who is the head coach at Louth Tennis and Sports Centre, added: “I can not remember a time when the Lincs U18 Boys have been as high up as division 2, its remarkable for a county that has relatively little funding.”

Simon Johnson, Head of Region, said: “This is a superb achievement from the Lincolnshire U18s Boys Team.

“To have earned promotion in such a dramatic way, on the last day of the event, against far larger county teams is a great demonstration of what can be achieved in a team competition.

“We’re already looking forward to seeing how far they can go can next season in Division 2 of the Aegon County Cup.”