The final title of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues will be decided next week in the final fixtures of the seasons as Division 2 goes down to the wire.
Champions Lions A were defeated by 3rd placed side Lions B 7-3 this week in a result that keeps the B side in the hunt of a runners-up finish ahead of the final games of the season. Phil Ogier has been by far the leading player in the Division this season and he sealed the averages with a week to spare after another evening of high quality table tennis. The player to have lost just 2 of the 60 singles matches played so far this season was again on song courtesy of comfortable straight sets singles wins over Ryan Bichard, Steve Ozanne and reserve Dan Collenette, who was competing in his first league action in a couple of years due to currently being at University. Liam Robilliard added straight sets wins over Collenette and Ozanne, whilst Sam Clark withstood a fightback from Ozanne to clinch a deciding 5th end 14-12 to secure the points. The doubles was won by Robilliard and Clark over Bichard and Ozanne in straight sets. Bichard beat Robilliard and Clark in 4 sets, whilst Collenette battled past Clark in 5 sets.
2nd placed side Whistlers A also won this week over bottom of the table side Whistlers C 7-3 but are facing champions Lions A in the final match of the season and need to match or better Lions B's result against Whistlers B to guarantee clinching the runners-up spot. Their win over their C side this week was far from straight forward and the final 2 matches of the night were each won in 5 sets and went in favour of the A side. Josh Stacey looked in big trouble against Matt Casey when trailing heavily in the deciding end of their clash but battled back impressively to edge it 12-10. On an adjacent table Mark Pipet was in similar bother against Joseph Bourgaize when trailing 2-0, however he too dug deep and also battled through the decisive 5th end of their encounter 12-10. Stacey had earlier beaten Bourgaize and Ellis Tomlin in straight sets, whilst Pipet had beaten Tomlin in straight sets. Ryan Gilson also beat Tomlin in straight sets and had teamed with Stacey to beat Tomlin and Bourgaize in straight sets in the doubles rubber. Casey beat Pipet 12-10 in the 5th as well as earning an earlier 4 set win over Gilson, whilst Bourgaize also beat Gilson in 4 sets.
5th placed side Lions C earned a comfortable 7-3 win over an under strength 4th placed Whistlers B side containing 2 reserves. Andy Gill however proved to be the player of the night as he was the only player in the fixture to go unbeaten. His best win came against the player who at the time was second in the averages, Lawrence Stacey. Stacey had looked in complete control when taking the first 2 ends for the loss of just 10 points however Gill switched tactics slightly and also improved his play significantly to turn it around impressively and take the final 3 ends 11-8, 11-9, 13-11 for his best win of the season. His other wins came against Erin Vaudin and Matthew Board in straight sets. Paul Hainsworth added straight sets wins over Vaudin and Board but just fell short against Stacey, who bounced back from a 2-1 deficit to win over the distance. Charlotte Casey completed the win with a clinical straight sets win over Vaudin and she also teamed with Hainsworth to beat Stacey and Board in a well contested straight sets double win.
The final Division where the league title is yet to be decided is likely to go the way of leaders Whistlers D despite their recent poor run of form. They bounced back this week to beat Ravenscroft Panthers A 8-2 in their first win in an incredible 7 matches. Kay Chivers returned to the team having missed the prior match and she was on point during wins over Ben Foote, Marli Barker and Sam Kershaw, dropping just a single end to Foote in the process. Keith Opie too showed good form this week and went unbeaten. He was however involved in a titanic tussle with Foote but he managed to seal the deciding 5th end 13-11. Erin Vaudin too had a close match with Foote which she managed to edge 11-6 in the decider. Chivers and Opie beat Barker and Kershaw in straight sets in the doubles clash.
St Pauls A did all they could to keep the hopes alive as they beat Lions G 7-3. The team of Tim Le Page, Maurice James and Trevor Bourgaize did enough to see off Andy Ferbrache, James Crocker and reserve Aiden Ozanne on the night. Ferbrache was the main resistance on the night due to his 5 set win over Le Page and straight sets win over James. He also teamed well with Crocker during their 5 set doubles win over Le Page and Bourgaize.
With a single point advantage at the top, Whistlers D are looking increasingly likely to win the title. Not only is their games difference ratio stronger, their final fixture is against a Whistlers E side who sit bottom of the table and whom are yet to register a point on the board.
Ravenscroft Panthers B may have officially sealed the title last time out, but they could not complete an unbeaten season and were humbled by league runners-up Ravenscroft Panthers D, who put in a superb shift to win 8-2. Averages winner Becks O'Keefe has lost just 1 singles match this season and she beat Shaun Mosley, Steve Martin and reserve Andy Lihou for the loss of just a single end to Mosley in the process. Yeaman also put in her best performances of the season to go unbeaten too. She started with a solid 4 set win over Mosley before edging out both Lihou and Martin each in 5 sets, 14-12 and 11-9 respectively in the final ends of those matches. Tia Timms too earned herself a notable scalp when she upset the odds to emphaticall beat Martin in straight sets. O'Keefe and Yeaman completed their stellar nights with a 4 set doubles win over Mosley and Lihou.
Division 4
