Titles in all but one of the 4 Divisions of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues were clinched this week ahead of the remaining 2 x fixtures of the season.
Defending champions Lions A were the first team to clinch a title after their emphatic 8-2 win over 5th placed side Lions C. Ben Foss and Ryan Bichard were both in good form as each defeated Paul Hainsworth, Andy Gill and Charlotte Casey in singles action. The closest of these matches was between Bichard and Gill, after the left-hander Gill fought back from 2-0 down to force a deciding 5th end. Bichard raised his level at the start of the deciding end and a strong start helped him on the way to an 11-6 triumph. Foss and Bichard also came through unscathed in the doubles clash over Hainsworth and Gill. Both pairings had yet to taste defeat in doubles action this season and the league champions took it in via 3 closely contested games. Steve Ozanne picked up a further straight sets win over Casey to extend the margin of victory, however he was beaten in straight sets by both Hainsworth and Gill.
The battle for second place in the league heated up this week as 3rd placed side Lions B secured a comfortable 8-2 win over a weakened Whistlers A side. The result leaves the Lions side just a single point behind the side they beat this week with 2 matches left to play. Phil Ogier looks in prime position to top the averages come the end of the season as he once more navigated to an unbeaten evening of singles action. His toughest test came against Josh Stacey in a match where the first 3 ends all went beyond the regulation 11 points, with Ogier taking 2 of them. Stacey fought hard to force the deciding end however the Lions player opened up a hefty advantage and never looked back, taking the game 11-7. His other wins came over Mark Pipet and reserve Stuart Sarre in straight sets. Liam Robilliard and Sam Clark each earned wins over Pipet and Sarre to secure the win, however Clark did need to battle back from 2-0 down to overcome Pipet. The doubles was won by Ogier and Robilliard against Stacey and Sarre in straight sets.
A Division which looked to be over just a few weeks back has turned on it's head and is now the last one where the title has not been claimed yet.
Whistlers D's healthy 6 point lead at the top has evaporated in the space of the last few weeks and they incredibly dropped points for the 5th consecutive week in a crucial result for their opponents and title rivals St Pauls A, who won 6-4. The result leaves the St Pauls side just a single point adrift and ramps up the pressure on the league leaders ahead of the final 2 matches of the season. The Whistlers side were missing their star player Kay Chivers, however GTTA president Derek Webb proved to be more than a handy stand-in, winning 2 of his 3 singles matches on the night over Maurice James in straight sets and Trevor Bourgaize in 4 sets. Keith Opie beat James comfortably in straight sets whilst Erin Vaudin earned a superb 5 set win over Tim Le Page in the final match of the night. It was however not enough for the league leaders with them losing 2 other tight crucial 5 set matches. Opie was ousted 11-8 in the deciding end to Bourgaize, whilst Webb lost 11-6 in the deciding end to Le Page. The St Pauls players mopped up the other singles matches as well as an important 4 set doubles win for Le Page and James over Opie and Vaudin in 4 sets.
Ravenscroft Panthers B have secured the title in style and have been the most dominant team across all Divisions. They have dropped points in just 2 drawn matches of all 26 matches played so far and remain unbeaten. This week they rounded it off with an 8-2 win over Whistlers F. Steve Martin was the form player with wins over Ken Falla, Max Burrows and Oskar Cleal, whilst Shaun Mosley and Richard Edwards each won 2 of their 3 singles matches. The doubles was won by Martin and Mosley over Cleal and Burrows in 4 sets. Falla earned himself a consolation singles win over Mosley in 5 sets whilst Burrows did well to defeat Edwards in 5 sets.
