Lee pushed to the limit by Ryde Mead

However, they were pushed to the limit before overcoming Ryde Mead by just nine games.

First pair, Katie Burge and Helen Brind, set the tone when they overcame their rivals’ second duo 6-0, 6-0.

Ryde’s Jikita Davey and Millie Coombes levelled the match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Barbara Wilkie and Mandy Reid. But the six games won by the later duo proved decisive when the reverse rubbers were also shared.

The rubbers were also divided 2-2 in the other ladies’ division one match played. Alverstoke’s Sue Western and Rosie Hadfield won both their matches in straight sets.

Jemma Raeburn and Sue Titterington, playing as second pair, lost both their rubbers. But they managed to take a set off Seacourt’s second pair of Lou Green and Sarah Sykes, which was enough to give them the ‘winning draw’ points by five sets to four.

There was another 2-2 draw in the match between JEM Tennis Hamble and Rowlands Castle in ladies’ three.

The first round of rubbers was shared.

Liz Marenghi and Lynda Pine then went on to record a three-set win for Rowlands, but the heat overcame one of the Castle’s second pair to the extent that she couldn’t carry on and the rubber had to be conceded, allowing JEM to claim the winning draw points by six sets to five.

Ladies three also saw Ryde Lawn 3 run out 4-0 winners over Lee 4, while newcomers Fishbourne showed they are finding their feet with a 3-1 victory over Chichester.

Fishbourne’s Priscilla Pendle and Cressida Williams won both their rubbers in straight sets.

Having lost the opening match in defence of their title, men’s champions JEM Tennis Hamble got their season back on track with a 4-0 win over Avenue 1. The only other men’s match saw Fishbourne enjoy a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Warsash 3.

Ryde Lawn’s mixed two side got their season under way with a 3-1 win over Seacourt in division two, while in the third tier Rowlands Castle 1 achieved something of a milestone – defeating a Ryde Lawn team, at Ryde, for the first time in five years!

Matt Bennett and Dawn Wears won both their rubbers.

In the same division, Southsea enjoyed a third win in succession – this time against Avenue 4 and by 4-0.

The midweek masters leagues saw Ryde Lawn gain an easy 4-0 win over Fishbourne 1, while Fishbourne 2 went down 3-1 to Rowlands Castle.

Wellow outplayed Ryde Lawn 2 by 4-0, and Southsea were equally impressive winners against Compton.

Carlton Green beat Lee 3-1, but the match of the day was probably the one between Chichester and Warsash, in which the maximum 12 sets were shared out six each.

Warsash gained the winning draw by virtue of their ladies pair, Karen Downie and Janet Beal, turning a first set 6-7 loss into a 6-0 second-set win.

They then went on to win the third-set tie-break to take the points.