Durham County maintained their promotion push in division 3A of the England Veterans league in a second weekend of ties at St. Neots. First up was Surrey who were beaten 7/3. The red and whites were back to full strength with the return of British League player Chris Blake who got past Surrey’s Chris Pullinger 3/0 and combined with Lynne Herrington to take a mixed doubles leg. In his singles ties, Mount True Roofs’ Neil Herrington beat Rodney Farquarson three straight but was edged out 2/3 by Dean Rose, he then went on to win a doubles leg with player of the match Marc Cotton. Former Avon county player Cotton secured his two singles legs 3/1 and 3/2 against Pullinger and Rose and breezed through a mixed doubles tie with Lynne Herrington - the 29 times Sunderland women’s champion then beat Surrey’s Diane McLellan 3/0 in the women’s singles. 

Northamptonshire proved a tougher test for the north easterners’ who were beaten 3/7 in a very close contest - six of the ten sets going to five ends. Blake showed his class in a comfortable 3/0 singles victory over Gary Pells and paired with Lynne Herrington in the mixed doubles took a second point for Durham. Neil Herrington and Cotton secured their third point in a superb 3/2 doubles win over Northants’ one and two Andy Trott and Andras Bayer. Three further close 2/3 singles defeats for Cotton and Neil Herrington got Northamptonshire over the line which took the midlands’ side top of the table.

Going into the final weekend of fixtures later this season, third placed Durham will face mid-table team Middlesex and basement side Kent - well placed for promotion back to the second tier