PLAYERS from Wellington and Taunton helped Somerset win promotion back to group five of the LTA County competition for the first time in ten years.

One of the strongest Somerset teams in years, captained by Heathfield School's head of PE Matt Bernard, travelled to the week-long event at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham.

The team was: James Deem (Wellington), Matt Bernard (Taunton), James Pankhurst (Yeovil), Alistair Felton (Street), Dan Manlow (Wellington), Chris Lister (Taunton).

Hopes of playing on the high quality grass surface were dashed by this summer's heavy rain but the competition was able to continue on the clubs synthetic grass surface.

The week started on a disappointing note with a 6-3 loss to a talented Avon side, but strong performances from the young pairing of Manlow and Felton provided hope for the week ahead.

But they bounced back on the second day when good performances from the injured Lister and Deem secured two of the three matches to set up a pleasing 6-3 victory over Gloucestershire.

Day three provided a crucial test against a good Bedfordshire side. A clean sweep of rubbers in the first round made it 3-0, while pairs Bernard and Pankhurst, Manlow and Felton staged great fightbacks to make it 5-1.

A tough three-set victory for Lister and Deem in the evening rounded off a great day with a 7-2 win.

Rain forced play inside and down to just one round on day four when Somerset went down 2-1 to a pumped-up North Wales side, which left five teams in the group in with the possibility of getting promoted or relegated.

Somerset drew the whipping boys of the group, Wiltshire, in the last round and suitably put them to the sword 9-0 with professional performances from all pairings.

Results also went Somerset's way to win them promotion to group five in second place behind Gloucestshire.

The team travel to Cardiff for the Winter Indoor competition knowing that the base of Group 4 in the winter and group five in the summer could be the catapult to higher things.

Meanwhile, the Somerset women's team, captained by Taunton's Natalie Ayton, suffered relegation to group six after a tough week at Worthing in Sussex.