Tennis World Middlesbrough's Nigel Beavers and Mark Franklin and Andrew Deeley and Nick Osborne, continued to exceed expectations by taking runnersup spot in the Inter Region Playoff of the North East Premier League last weekend in Bolton.

As surprise winners of the North East section, they then met and defeated David LLoyd Cheadle, the North West winners, by five sets to four, before succumbing to David Lloyd Derby, the North Midlands champions, by 40 in the final.

The team was far from despondent, realising they had been fortunate to make the last four playoff and had scraped through against Cheadle.

That semi-final saw Wearsider Beavers and his Durham and Cleveland county partner Franklin, from Danby, beat the Cheshire club's Brent Parker, a sometime D and C champion and fellow coach Guy Norberry in round one. Deeley, from Stokesley and Osborne from Hutton Rudby. meanwhile, had gained only tour games against Cheshire's Nick Baglin, and Mark Airey, another exDurham player.

But the Tennis World juniors provided a crucial and match winning set in their three sets defeat by Parker and Norberry as the Middlesbrough club's first pair had won again in straight sets.

Now for the final! It was expected to be tough, as Derby included Davis Cup squad member Mark Bilton, and past international Nick Fulwood, who even at 38 years, can still teach younger players many lessons!

Franklin and Beavers took the opening set over Fulwood and Steve Davis, but that was all the team managed, though that pair had a slight chance in the third set, and Osborne and Deeley forced Hilton and Ian Flanagan to a tiebreak. Once the round was done, it was obvious Derby's class would tell. Tennis World did not give up, but could not make a breakthrough.

FINAL: Tennis World Middlesbrough 0, David Lloyd Derby 4 -Nigel Bcavers and Mark Franklin lost to Mark Hilton and Ian Flanagan 3-6 0-6, lost to Nick Fulwood and Steve David 7-5 2-6 4-5=6; Andrew Deeley and Nick Osborne lost to Hilton and Flanagan 6-7 1-6, lost to Fulwood and Davis 4-6 3-6.

Semi-finals: Tennis Word 2 (5), David Lloyd Cheadle 2 (4): N Beavers and M Franklin beat Nick Baglin and Mark Airey 6-1 6-2, beat Brent Parker and Guy Norberry 6-3 6-3; A Deeley and N Osborne lost to Baglin and Aire 0-6 4-6, lost to Parker and Norberry 6-4 0-6 6-7. D Lloyd Derby 4, Next Generation Edinburgh 0.

Mike Dixon, the League administrator, understated his delight at the

success of the competition. This Yarm club player from Wetherby initiated the

event to years ago as an experiment; extended it to four regions with 56 teams this season with the exceptional sponsorship of the Brown Shipley organisation based in Harrogate and will oversee its further development nationwide with television coverage and the backing of the LTA.

An excellent achievement for the North-East.