SENIOR LEAGUE 2021-22 WEEK 1

Action from the new season of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues commenced a few weeks back in respect of Divisions 2 and 3, whilst the opening week for the top flight took place on Wednesday.

 

Division 1

Having won the title last season, Lions A have a familiar feel with both Ben Foss and Ryan Bichard remaining in the side. They are joined by Steve Ozanne this time out due to an injury to Jamie Ferbrache, ruling him out for the majority of the season. It is Ozanne's second season back in the top flight after having competed for Lions D there last season. The defending champions started strongly with a comprehensive 9-1 win over Whistlers C. Ben Foss and Ryan Bichard each made strong starts thanks to straight sets singles wins over Matthew Casey, Ellis Tomlin and Joseph Bourgaize. Ozanne accounted for himself well also with straight sets wins over Tomlin and Bourgaize, however despite a strong first end, he was defeated over 4 sets by Casey which prevented the whitewash. The doubles encounter was won by Bichard and Ozanne over Tomlin and Bourgaize in 4 sets.

 

Lions B are mathematically 2nd after the initial fixture due to their 7-3 win over Lions C. The team consists of Phil Ogier, Liam Robilliard and Sam Clark, however Robilliard was absent this week and Jez Powell stepped in to compete. Ogier was in good early season form and he defeated Paul Hainsworth, Andy Gill and Charlotte Casey, dropping just the single end to Hainsworth in the process. Jez Powell edged past Gill in 5 sets in the match opener and also defeated Casey in 4 sets, whilst Clark came through a hard fought 4 set win over Casey. The doubles was another close 4 set encounter which went the way of Ogier and Clark over Hainsworth and Casey. For the defeated Lions side Hainsworth beat Powell and Clark in straight sets, whilst Gill also added a comfortable straight sets win over Clark.

 

Whistlers A look a strong title prospect for the season as they contain the current Island Men's and Women's Singles Champions Josh Stacey and Dawn Morgan as well as the regularly improving left-hander Ryan Gilson. They did however have a tough opening fixture against Whistlers B but did enough to edge through 6-4. All members of the team earned singles wins over Ben Sharp and reserve Mark Pipet to make sure of the win, however Gilson needed to dig into his resources to battle past Sharp in 5 sets, having trailed 2-1. Lawrence Stacey's side may have been defeated, but he put in some excellent performances on the night to remain unbeaten. He beat twin Josh impressively in straight sets as well as earning a 4 set win over Morgan and a straight sets win over Gilson. He also combined well with Sharp to earn a 4 set doubles win over Josh and Gilson.

 

Division 2

The first 3 weeks of action have indicated that the title race is wide open with only one side remaining with a 100% winning record. That side is Ravenscroft Panthers A who have this season acquired Craig Dunning, who was part of the Division 2 winning Whistlers D side last season. Dunning is joined by usual Panthers players Oscar Pearson and Ben Foote.

 

Their most impressive win so far was against Lions D, who they edged past 6-4. In this fixture Dunning was unbeaten with singles wins over Luke Le Tissier in 5 sets, Chloe Le Tissier in 4 sets and Shelby Timms in straight sets. Pearson had a good evening also with a 5 set win over Chloe and a straight sets win over Timms. Foote finished the job courtesy of a pivotal 5 set win over the ever improving Timms.

 

There is one other side that is currently unbeaten and this is second placed side St Pauls A. They were held to a 5-5 draw by Lions D in the season opener however, in which Luke Le Tissier was unbeaten with singles wins over Tim Le Page, Maurice James and Trevor Bourgaize as well as winning the doubles alongside Timms over Le Page and Bourgaize in 5 sets. The final rubber won by Lions was when Chloe defeated James over 4 sets in the final match of the night.

 

Division 3

The third division is also shaping up to be a competitive league and it is anyone's guess who will come away with the title. At present the top 3 spots are occupied by Ravenscroft Panthers teams who all look like strong contenders.

It is only the B and D sides that currently have the 100% winning records however after the opening 3 fixtures and the B side leads the way with a superior games ratio.

The B side consists of Steve Martin, Shaun Mosley and Richard Edwards, however they have also had Ridunian reserve Marli Barker compete in 2 of the 3 fixtures thus far this season. Their toughest test so far came this week against Lions I, whom they edged past 6-4. Steve Potter was unbeaten for the Lions side with a hat-trick of singles wins and he also teamed with reserve Carly Tucknott to defeat Mosley and Barker in 4 sets. The Panthers side though did enough by virtue of them all defeating Tucknott and Derek Cave in singles action.

The D side on the other hand is made up of the all female team consisting of GTTA Development officer Becks O'Keefe, Juliette Yeaman and Tia Timms. Their closest match came against Whistlers G whom they defeated 6-4. O'Keefe was undefeated in that fixture with wins over Shane Cotter, Ian Fitchet and Mick Solway, whilst Yeaman and Timms beat Solway. The doubles was accordingly a crunch encounter and O'Keefe and Timms came out on top over Fitchet and Cotter in 4 sets.

Division 4

The opening fixtures saw wins for Lions J, Lions M and Ravenscroft Panthers E.

The J side lead the way on games ratio as they cruised past a Lions K side containing a full compliment of 3 reserves 9-1. Alex Paul and Val Guilbert won all of their matches over Olly Sparks, Sandra Sebire and Alex Whattel, whilst Diane Le Page beat Sparks and Sebire. Whattel overcame Le Page in straight sets to prevent the whitewash, whilst Paul and Le Page won the doubles rubber in straight sets over Whattel and Sparks.
Author: via Guernsey Table Tennis Association
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