The Essex Cup competitions get under way next weekend.

The Ladies Senior Cup has several local clubs in action in the first round. Billericay travel to Grove (Saffron Walden), Mountnessing entertain Westcliff Lawn, Brentwood Law entertain Westcliff Hard II, Gidea Park are at home to Essex club while Cranston Park visit Thorpe Bay. Last year's finalists Woodford Wells and Connaught both get byes into the second round.

Still on ladies competition, in the Intermediate Cup the new Clearview are at home to Tower Hamlets while Hutton & Shenfield play at home to Aldersbrook.

Other local Intermediate Cup interest is: Cranston Park II v Connaught, Westcliff Hard II v Gidea Park II. In the ladies Junior Cup matches with local interest are: Connaught II v Ongar, Harlow v Brentwood Lawn II, Redbridge v Cranston Park II, Great Baddow v Brentwood Hard.

There are four Essex men's cup with 58 teams competing. In action in the first round in the Senior Cup are Brentwood Hard who entertain Westcliff Lawn and Cranston Park who are at home to Essex club.

Gidea Park have a bye into the second round along with last year's finalists, Westcliff Hard and Connaught.

In the Intermediate Cup local matches are: Billericay v Woodford Wells, Thorpe Bay v Cranston Park II, Grove (SW) v Gidea Park II, Clearview v Whitehall, Connaught II v Brentwood Lawn. The local interest in the Junior Cup (Division One): Brentwood Lawn II v Hutton & Shenfield, Harlow v Brentwood Hard II, Southend Lawn v Gidea Park III, Mountnessing v Warren & Southbridge.

In Junior Cup (Division Two), the local matches are: Grove (Chelmsford) v Cranston Park III, Rayleigh v Ingatestone, Brentwood Hard II v Frinton, Buckhurst Hill v Ongar.

This summer's LTA Inter County Grass Court Championship (County Week) is to be held during the week 22-26 July.

Essex ladies are in action in Group One at Eastbourne and play Surrey, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, South Wales and Yorkshire.

Essex men play in Group Two at Nottingham and will play Devon, Northamptonshire, Middlesex, Cheshire and Buckinghamshire.

Published Monday, April 8, 2002