DIVISION 6 – 03.03.19 – DAY 4
BROMLEY COMMON D SECURE TITLE WITH A MEETING TO SPARE
With Bromley Common D in a very strong position and unlikely to be caught, attention turned to the runners up spot where Halstead C and Cleeve Park B were level on 18 points apiece. Darenth I were on 14, Tandridge on eight and Bromley Common E on four.
Round 7
There were some interesting ties thrown up in this round and one in particular caught the eye was that between Cleeve Park B (Sayd Hamad/Callum Ho) and Bromley Common D (Terry Edwards/Joy Grohmann). Hamad was helping out as the team were a player short but has done well in the Junior Development Division and was a very capable substitute. The opening singles were shared with a win for Hamad over Edwards and Grohmann responding for Bromley Common who then won the doubles to take the lead. The reverse singles were also shared, Hamad making the match level through beating Grohmann but Edwards kept Ho at bay for a 3-2 win.
Halstead C (Jo Fooks/Wendy Ansell) were likewise looking for promotion. They were, however, subjected to a stern test by Darenth I (Duncan McKay/Oscar Owen). McKay came within a whisker of defeating Fooks. He had a 2-1 lead but lost the fourth 10-12. Fooks got a flyer in the fifth and ran away with it. Ansell and Owen duelled over five games with Owen also leading 2-1 but managed to get over the line 11-7 in the fifth. Darenth I won the doubles but Fooks brought the match back to par. It was thus down to McKay and Ansell to sort out the issue and it went to McKay in four.
Tandridge (William Ainsworth/Alex Wright) had a much closer tussle with Bromley Common E (Andrew Massiah/Michael Elliott) then a 1-4 loss would suggest and there were a number of very close games. The opening one between Ainsworth and Massiah is a good example 10-12, 10-12, 5-11 gives a clue. Bromley Common won the first three sets and it was not until the fourth one that Ainsworth managed to get one on the board for Tandridge. Wright began to find some answers to Massiah in the third game but it was too late and he didn’t quite pull that one off.
Whilst Bromley Common D sailed serenely on at the top of the table after seven Rounds, it was status quo for second place with Halstead C and Cleeve Park B remaining locked on 20 points apiece. Darenth I had 17, Tandridge nine and Bromley Common E eight.
Round 8
Bromley Common E (Elliott/Massiah) and Halstead (Fooks/Ansell) had one of the best matches of the day and four sets needed a fourth game. There was certainly some big hitting from both Fooks and Elliott in the opening set which Fooks won in four. Massiah took the next set for Bromley Common to make it all square. The doubles was a very hard fought set and somewhat noisy but everyone seemed to be enjoying the challenge. It went to Halstead 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10. The reverse singles were no less keenly contested and both went to a fourth game – Fooks holding on to take the set 12-10 against Massiah while Ansell and Elliott had a real battle which Elliott won 11-4, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9 for a 3-2 victory.
The other principal promotion hunters, Cleeve Park B (Ho/Hamad) took on Tandridge (Ainsworth/Wright) in an all junior clash. Cleeve Park won both the opening singles and the doubles. Hamad made it four by beating Ainsworth. Wright, however, put up a terrific fight against Ho which he eventually won 7-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8.
Bromley Common D (Edwards/Grohmann) weren’t complacent about taking on Darenth I (McKay/Owen) and gave them no quarter. McKay did well to get past Grohmann who is never easy to beat in five in the opening set, making many good returns from the back of the court. Bromley Common upped the stakes after that and took all the remaining sets for a 4-1 victory.
Bromley Common D have secured promotion back to Division 5 and have an unassailable lead. Cleeve Park B have sneaked into second place, one point in front of Halstead C. Darenth I have closed up slightly on these two while Tandridge and Bromley Common E are now both on ten points.
There are a lot of juniors in this Division and it is good to see them being given the opportunity of tackling the seniors. The seniors, for their part, are doing well and it makes for a very lively competition.
