There is a clear leader in the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues for the first time this season, although the leaders have played an extra game than most of their closest rivals.
Whistlers C are the side to have a clear lead and this 4 point advantage was in part due to success in their re-arranged match against title rivals Whistlers B.
These 2 sides were level on points going into this brought forward fixture and it was a hard fought affair which ultimately boiled down to a few 5 set encounters, with the league leaders winning 2 of the 3 in the match. Alice Edwards continues to impress and retained her 100% singles record. This was however at threat during her opening match against Joshua Stacey when she trailed 2-1, however she fought back strongly and took the final 2 ends 11-8, 11-9. Her other matches were comfortable straight sets wins over Matthew Casey and Joseph Bourgaize. Dawn Morgan was the other player to win a 5 set encounter and also needed to come back from 2-1 down in the process, eventually getting past Bourgaize 11-8 in the deciding end. She added a straight sets win over Casey and also teamed strongly with Edwards to win the doubles against Stacey and Casey in straight sets. Mark Pipet beat Bourgaize in 4 sets, but lost in 4 sets to Casey and was unfortunate to fall to Stacey in 5 sets in the final match of the night, despite having led 2-0. The third end in that encounter proved decisive and Stacey pinched it 13-11. Stacey also added a 4 set win over Morgan on the night.
Whilst the leaders have a small buffer due to the extra game played, they have a pack of 3 chasing sides all on 9 points.
Lions C are currently their nearest rivals on games difference and they narrowly squeezed past Lions B 6-4 this week. Joshua Butler and Liam Robilliard each beat Jamie Ferbrache and reserve Caden Brouard in singles action, whilst the duo teamed to win the doubles match against Ben Foss and Ferbrache in 4 sets. Matthew Stubbington picked up the 6th and final rubber when he overcame Brouard in a tightly contested 4 set match where 3 of the sets went beyond the regulation 11 points. For the beat Lions side, Foss was in good form and won all of his singles matches for the loss of just single ends to Butler and Robilliard, whilst Ferbrache earned himself a nice 5 set win over Stubbington.
Lions A are next and they too were narrow 6-4 winners this week, bottom placed side Lions D the side to taste defeat. Phil Ogier won all of his singles matches against Paul Hainsworth, Andy Gill and Charlotte Casey for the loss of just 1 end to Gill in the process. Jez Powell added a 4 set win over Gill and a straight sets win over Casey, whilst the pair teamed to beat Hainsworth and Casey in straight sets in the doubles match and seal the victory. Each of the D side earned wins over reserve Connor Powell in singles action, whilst Hainsworth battled past Jez 11-9 in the 5th and deciding end.
Despite having played an extra game than their 2 x rivals previously mentioned, Whistlers B are also on 9 points. The reason they are a further 2 points behind is because the side yet to taste defeat prior to the re-arranged match against the league leaders noted above, fell to a second consecutive defeat, 6-4 at the hands of a Whistlers A side who currently occupy 6th spot. Lawrence Stacey proved to be a key factor in the result for his side as he had an evening of unbeaten singles action. Despite this fact, he was made to work very hard for this, including in the very first match of the night. Joseph Bourgaize was playing well and led 2-1 before Stacey forced a deciding end. In the deciding end again Bourgaize looked in a good position to complete the upset when leading 9-7, however Stacey kept his composure, and his experience enabled him to come through 11-9. His next match was another tight one against twin Joshua, however he fought back from 2-1 down to take the final 2 ends 12-10, 11-9. His final win was a lot more routine and came against Matt Casey in straight sets. Ben Sharp had a good evening to supplement Lawrence as he beat Casey in 5 sets and Bourgaize in 4 sets, whilst left-hander Ryan Gilson picked up the final rubber when he fought through against Casey in a match where he won the final end 12-10. Joshua won his other singles matches against Sharp in 4 sets and Gilson in straight sets, whilst Bourgaize defeated Gilson in straight sets in the final match of the night. The doubles was won by Joshua and Bourgaize in straight sets against Sharp and Gilson.
Lions F scored what could be an early decisive blow in the Division 2 title race after their tight 6-4 win over one of their main title rivals Whistlers D gives them a 5 point advantage ahead of Whistlers E and a 6 point lead from the D side. Nye Matthew has had an exceptional season so far and is top of the averages, having lost just 1 singles match. He continued this stellar record with another unbeaten evening of singles action. His closest match unexpectedly came against the young and improving Shelby Timms during his first match of the night. He had led 2-0 before she came back in very strong fashion in the third and fourth ends. Matthew held firm and comfortably took the deciding end 11-3 to extinguish the hopes of the comeback win. His other wins were extremely impressive as he beat Tim Le Page and Kay Chivers without dropping a set. Caden Brouard is another player to enjoy a very strong start to the season and he is second in the averages. He maintained his strong form by beating Le Page in 4 sets and Timms in straight sets. He was however unable to go unbeaten and he tasted just his second singles loss of the season to Chivers in 4 sets. Connor Powell got his side over the line with an excellent 4 set win over Le Page in his last match of the night. He had earlier lost to Chivers in straight sets and Timms in 4 sets. The doubles was also won by the defeated side as Chivers combined with reserve Le Page to earn an excellent 4 set win over Matthew and Brouard.
Whistlers E fell a further point behind due to being held to a surprise 5-5 draw by Ravenscroft Panthers B, a result which moved them off the bottom of the table. Shaun Mosley was the best performer of the Panthers side and was instrumental in the surprise result being obtained. He beat Stuart Sarre in 4 sets and Martin Sarre in 4 sets in the final match of the night. Steve Martin and Peter Vivian also had big parts to play and contributed to the other 3 wins on the night. Vivian beat Martin Sarre in 4 sets in the match opener, whilst Martin edged past Paula Le Ber in 5 sets. The pair teamed very strongly to win the important doubles rubber against Martin Sarre and Le Ber in straight sets. Le Ber and Stuart Sarre each won 2 singles matches, whilst Martin Sarre just about battled past Martin 5 sets, having faced a 2-1 deficit.
Ravenscroft Panthers D remain locked at the top with their C side, but ultimately head the table due to their games difference ratio being marginally better.
The gap in this games difference was reduced slightly this week, as the D side were very narrow 6-4 winners against Lions J. Mark Windsor put in a man of the match performance due to his singles wins over Graham Mallett in 5 sets and Derek Cave and Helen Barker in straight sets. Mick Ingrouille added wins over Barker in straight sets and Mallett in 4 sets, whilst Pierre Jehan finished the job when he beat Barker in straight sets. The doubles was won by Mallett and Cave against Windsor and Jehan in 5 sets. Cave earned an impressive 5 set win over Ingrouille and also beat Jehan in straight sets, whilst Mallett beat Jehan in 4 sets, the final end being an incredible 20-18 score.
Ravenscroft Panthers C went one better as they won 7-3 against their opposition this week, in the form of Whistlers F. Becks O'Keefe remains unbeaten in singles action and she beat Matthew Board, Darren Sarre and Nathan Pinchemain without dropping a set. Juliette Yeaman added wins over Pinchemain and Sarre in straight sets and also teamed with O'Keefe to win the doubles against Board and Pinchemain in straight sets. Reserve Richard Wellfair added a further 4 set win over Pinchemain. Board and Sarre beat Wellfair, whilst Board added a further tight 5 set win over Yeaman in a match where he trailed 2-1 and won the final ends 13-11, 15-13.
