SENIOR LEAGUE 2022-23 WEEK 16

Results between the leading 4 sides in the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues ended in stalemates, ensuring that the race to the title remains closely contested.

Division 1

League leaders Whistlers C were lucky to escape with their 2 point advantage intact following a 5-5 draw with 4th placed side Lions A. Alice Edwards was key to keeping the league leaders in their position as she won all of her singles matches over Phil Ogier, Jez Powell and reserve Nye Matthew, for the loss of just a single end to Ogier in the process. Dawn Morgan did well to battle past Matthew in 5 sets, whilst it was Mark Pipet who left his best crucially for the final match of the night, where he clinically came through against Powell in straight sets to salvage the draw. The Lions side won the remaining 5 rubbers, which saw singles wins for Ogier over Pipet in 4 sets and Morgan in straight sets, a straight sets win for Powell over Morgan and an excellent 4 set win for Matthew over Pipet. The doubles was the other rubber won by the Lions side and vitally Ogier and Powell came through against Edwards and Morgan over the full 5 set distance.

Second placed side Lions C failed to take advantage of the slip-up and were held to a 5-5 draw by third placed side Whistlers B. Joshua Butler was in super form during straight set singles wins over Matthew Casey and Joseph Bourgaize as he lost just 12 points during the 6 ends contested. Matthew Stubbington also defeated Casey in straight sets as well as coming past Bourgaize in a close 4 set encounter. The doubles was won by the Lions combination of Stubbington and Liam Robilliard against Casey and Joshua Stacey in 4 sets. For the Whistlers side, Stacey went the evening unbeaten in singles action, but needed 4 sets to get past both Butler and Stubington, whilst Casey defeated Robilliard in straight sets. The final rubber won by the Whistlers side came in the match opener and it saw Bourgaize battle back strongly from 2-1 down to get past Robilliard.

5th placed side Whistlers A gained ground on the 4 sides above and are now just a single point behind 4th spot after they beat bottom placed side Lions D 7-3. Lawrence Stacey was in good form following his prior CI Top 12 success just 4 days reserved and he won all of his singles matches over Paul Hainsworth, Andy Gill and Charlotte Casey for the loss of single ends to Hainsworth and Gill in the process. Ben Sharp added singles wins over Gill in 5 sets and Casey in 4 sets and also teamed with Stacey to beat Hainsworth and Gill in a close straight sets doubles encounter. Ryan Gilson extended the margin of victory when he defeated Casey in 5 sets. For the Lions side Hainsworth defeated Sharp and Gilson in straight sets, whilst Gill also added a straight sets win over Gilson.

6th placed side Lions B are only a single point further back after they beat 7th placed side Lions E 7-3. Averages leader Ben Foss impressed with another unbeaten evening. He defeated Ryan Bichard and Sam Clark in 4 sets in addition to his straight sets win over Steve Ozanne. He also teamed with Jamie Ferbrache to beat Bichard and Ozanne in 4 sets in the doubles clash. Ferbrache himself had an evening of hard fought singles matches. He managed to defeat Clark 12-10 in the 5th and deciding set and Ozanne 13-11 in the 5th and deciding set. Chloe Le Tissier extended the margin of victory due to her straight sets win over Ozanne. For the defeated Lions side, Bichard defeated Ferbrache in 4 sets and Le Tissier in straight sets, whilst Clark added a straight sets win over Le Tissier.

Division 2

Lions F remain 6 points clear following a 7-3 win against Ravenscroft Panthers B. Averages leader Nye Matthew continues his exceptional season record by winning another 3 singles matches. He looked in cruise control during his straight sets singles wins over Shaun Mosley, Peter Vivian and Steve Martin. Caden Brouard mirrored the feat of 3 singles wins, but he did need 4 sets to get past both Martin and Vivian. Connor Powell extended the margin of victory when he ousted Vivian in 5 sets in the final match of the night.

Division 3

Lions I moved into a single point lead at the top after they beat Lions J 8-2 and title rivals Ravenscroft Panthers C were held to a draw. Joint averages leader Steve Potter won all of his singles matches against Derek Cave, Helen Barker and Graham Mallett, however he was pushed all the way by Mallett in the final match of the night and needed to go the full 5 set distance before coming away with the win. Jenny Powell and reserve Thomas Ruff each beat Cave and Barker in singles action to secue the victory, whilst the doubles was won by Potter and Powell over Mallet and Barker in straight sets.

Ravenscroft Panthers C's draw came in their fixture against 4th placed side Whistlers G. Ken Falla was in good form during singles wins over reserves Sam Kershaw and Barnaby Groves in 4 sets, whilst Oscar Cleal beat Juliette Yeaman and Groves in straight sets. The final Whistlers victory came in the match opener where Shane Cotter beat Kershaw in straight sets. The Panthers side kept themselves in the match when Yeaman beat Cotter in straight sets before she teamed with Kershaw to beat Cotter and Cleal in straight sets. This left the match at 3-2 in favour of the Whistlers side, who then extended the lead to 5-2. The final 3 matches were pivotal in the context of the league title and the Panthers side won all of them. The first saw Yeaman battle back from 2-1 down to beat Falla and then youngster Groves showed superb composure in the following rubber to come back from 2-0 down to overcome Cotter 14-12 in the deciding end. Kershaw then completed the excellent comeback when she defeated Cleal in 4 sets.

Division 4

Lions O remain top by a single point after they earned a heavy 9-1 win over Lions M. Andy Ozanne and Aiden Ozanne were unbeaten in singles action as each defeated Karen Brouard, Rachael Sharp and reserve Jan Priest in singles action. Luke Evans added wins over Brouard and Sharp and he also teamed with Aiden to defeat Brouard and Sharp in straight sets in the doubles match. Priest prevented the whitewash when she beat Evans in 4 sets and she also came close in her matches against Andy and Aiden, losing both only over the full 5 sets distance and both from the position of having led 2-0.
Author: via Guernsey Table Tennis Association
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