The 2026 Parks League season did not look like a triumph for St Ann’s.
This September, we returned the two shields we won last summer – the Division 2 trophy, and the Division 4 shield – to be engraved with the names of rival teams. There were no trophies or promotions. After holding third place for much of the season, our first team finished fifth in Division 1, with our second team (St Ann’s A) just above the relegation zone. In Division 2, St Ann’s B were sixth. In Division 3, St Ann’s C were 4th and St Ann’s D 7th. So no open top bus parades down Nizells Avenue for Team St Ann’s this Autumn.
Images from 2026 Parks League season [Video: 1min30secs]
And yet, taken as a whole, this was a season of real accomplishment, and all the players and captains can take deep satisfaction from a job well done. Team St Ann’s has been on a remarkable upward journey these last five years, with year-on-year promotions, starting with just one team, and successfully building to our current total of five teams. Since 2020, Team St Ann’s has charged up the divisions, strengthening as we went. A key goal was to have two teams in Division 1, a privilege only enjoyed by Hove (defending champs), Queens (eventual 2026 winners) and Dyke.
Autumn Festival at St Ann’s: Details here
Then, once we reached that level this summer, tennis got harder! There were no easy games anymore. Rivals captains were desperate to tear us down. The summer of 2026 was a season of tough tennis, so to come through it unscathed does great credit to our talented squad.
Our 4-0 destruction of Dyke first team, all four matches in straight sets, was one of our first team’s best results ever. And the rescue act performed by our As – stuck in the relegation zone deep into August, our situation looking hopeless – was borderline miraculous, a late surge eventually achieving security by a comfortable 14 points. And to show what an achievement that is, we note that Dyke and Hove both lost their A teams to relegation.
Successfully keeping two teams up demonstrates real depth in our squad, and hope for the future. Many thanks to skipper Neeraj Nayar, who did so much to keep our teams competitive. As happens sometimes in mid summer our squad endured a critical shortage of women players. At times it was really tough for Neeraj putting out a team at all. But they stuck to it, several heroes and heroines stepped up, our teams ground out the points, and both teams live to compete another day in D1.
A big congratulations to Rithika Rajasekar on a dazzling debut season. She was undefeated throughout the Parks League season, and she then won the Ladies Singles title at the Parks Cup in July, our best singles result ever in that competitions (Evan Banks reached the mens final last summer). She is a captain’s dream.
A shout out to Fred Pearman-Wright, who not only earned tough points for St Ann’s in D1 this season, but also picked up the Parks Cup Men’s Plate. Photo: Rithika & Fred.
St Ann’s B in Division 2 was captained by myself. We were having so much fun I somehow failed to register that we were a bit short of actual points as we reached the midway stage. We were letting too many third sets run away from us. By early August, we were in a five way relegation battle that carried on into the post season, that feverish couple of weeks where we get all our rained-off matches played. Not until the very last round of fixtures was our future secured against equally desperate opponents. St Ann’s B’s ultimate survival was a team effort, but some were more equal than others. Zoe Arnold and Liv Waring were immense throughout, and our mens duo of Will Jefferies and Arjun Thakkar always gave us a winning start in the mens doubles.
Three matches stand out, all on difficult away trips: Joss Albert and Becca Creamer besting a very strong King Alfred first mixed in three sets in the first half of the season. And then, right at the death, Rob Hutchinson and Ludka Soldanova triumphing in the third away to Hove B. While on the next court, Simon Griggs and Sim Ncube endured a +3hr slug fest to halve a match – 6-6 in the last set – that looked long gone. Absolute scenes.
Division 3 was our happy division. We no longer have a team in Division 4, so – again – there were no easy games for St Ann’s. There are some ridiculously good teams in D3, often populated by experienced players with hundreds of Parks League appearances. It takes them about nine seconds to find your weakness. And yet we held our own comfortably, brilliantly guided by skipper Simon Griggs, who kept both teams buoyant and focused. Acknowledgements to top points scorers Seb Moore-Evans and Rob Hutchinson, two St Ann’s originals who set the standard. And a warm welcome to debutant Ludka, the Hove slayer, a late arrival who fully justified her captain’s faith.
Simon’s highlights: “Ludka & Frances nearly taking down the seasoned and undefeated Blakers ladies only to lose on a close 10 point tiebreaker. Jon Hootman & Bankim Chandra had match points against the unbeaten Blakers men’s pair in the tie breaker. Banks made the young big serving lads hit more smashes in one match than in the rest of the season to a very entertained crowd. So close! Finally, Andy Gray & Tessa Coombe winning 18-16 at Queens in a marathon third set tie break.”
Finally, a big thank you to our Vets captain this season Richard Bramwell. He inherited a dedicated squad of competitive tennis players from Neal, and together they have enjoyed a full season of home and away fixtures, some of which we won. This competition scores highly for fun and good, sporting competition. Thank you Richard (center below, in blue).
Neeraj is now stepping down after two summers leading our top teams. It’s a huge commitment, and his wisdom and enthusiasm for tennis was widely appreciated across the team. Many thanks on behalf of St Ann’s Tennis.
Looking ahead, we welcome the arrival of floodlights soon (date: TBC), which can only help our team development. And a bit of breaking news if you have read this far: St Ann’s will apply for a sixth team, to play in Division 4 for the 2027 Parks League season. Do we have the players? Hell, yes. Watch this space. – Conrad
