PREMIER / DIV 1 ROUND-UP WEEK 10

Published 15/01/2022 at 13:48:35 by David Wackrill.


PREMIER DIVISION
KINGS SHOCK WARRIORS AS SPINNERS BANDWAGON ROLLS ON
 
The top pair clashed this week with any lingering hopes that Greenleys Monarchs may have held of regaining the title quickly vanquished as they crashed out 9-1 to MK Spinners for the second time around to leave the perennial champions a massive 26 points ahead of their nearest rivals.  Monarchs could only manage one win last time they met when they had 3 players so their chances of improving on that with a man short this time seemed remote, and so it proved, Martin Hall saving the whitewash with a lone victory over Jecu Aurelian.  Alan Cherry and Tim Cheek remained unbeaten, in Alan’s case extending his winning streak to 17.  Tom Nowakowski was the other Monarch.
 
Greenleys Kings maestro Nick Howard is gradually playing himself back to his previous high standards after his enforced lay-off and whipped through some tough opposition here in the shape of high flying colleagues Warriors.  The mighty Ricky Taiwo along with ever improving Darren Ward and rusty new boy William Egbuna, coming back to the sport after 20 years away, were all dispatched in straight games in Kings impressive 6-4 victory.  With Guy Sparrow showing some decent form with two good wins and Jordan Moss at last finding her touch with one, the Kings are beginning to look like the reigning champions they are.  Darren had a good night for Warriors himself though with two singles wins and a share of the doubles with Ricky, who had to settle for just the one singles success this time.
 
Relegation strugglers MK Pumas and Leighton Buzzard Van Hire fought out their second draw of the season this week in what became a triumph for Hire’s former League champion Ian Doughty on one of his many comebacks.  It’s been 36 years since the multiple times League Singles winner last lifted the crown (and surprisingly the only ex title holder to still be active in the League) but he rolled back the years with a terrific couple of wins over Andy Smith and Chris Belton, his first of the season, to support what is fast becoming the regular Biao Wang treble.  Hakan Karaagac picked up 2 wins for Pumas plus a share of the doubles with Andy and Chris one each.  David Broome completed the Van Hire line-up.
 
Van Hire are on a roll at the moment, unbeaten in 3, as during the Xmas break they managed to fulfil their outstanding fixture with Kings, abandoned from October with the score at 3-3 because of a slippery floor at Great Brickhill Parish hall.  The re-run was an equally close affair with half the sets going the distance before Van Hire ran out 6-4 winners.  Two wins each for Biao and Paul Haigh was topped up by a single from Fabrice Spelta plus the vital doubles set.  Nick Howard and Guy Sparrow chalked up a brace each themselves for Kings.
 
Player of the week : Nick Howard
 
 
 
DIVISION 1
PENN IN PRIME FORM
 
A productive week for the Russell Penns of the sporting world.  No sooner had the manager of non League Kidderminster Harriers masterminded an amazing F.A. Cup win over Championship side Reading than his MK Topspin namesake engineered an equally unlikely win over Open University Primes.  It was a welcome return to form for the Topspin skipper as his first hat-trick since the opening week of the season enabled his ailing side to pull off a surprise victory.  Great backing from Mervyn Kelly, also in poor form of late, with 2 wins and a share of the doubles, saw Topspin squeeze home 6-4 in an exciting match.  The score stood at 4-4 when Russell scraped past Mervyn’s conquerer James Zeng 14-12 in the 5th, leaving Mervyn the task of beating Patrick Wong in the final set to seal the much needed victory after 3 disappointing defeats.  Topspin gave a debut to Division 2’s Abhay Tijare while Andy Tan was the other Primes man.  Incredibly both sides have now amassed exactly 50 points each from the 100 available so far, a pleasing symmetry to the eye of a numerologist.
 
Also winning 6-4 this week were high flyers MK Powers in their match with club-mates Hit ‘n’ Hope.  Ivor Howard continued his good form this season for the Hope outfit with a brace of wins over Clare Styles and Keith Carrington, but then found Luton based Jit Pitamber too hot to handle.  Jit duly took his maximum following wins over Marco Hahn and Andy Frearson, with support to ensure the Powers victory coming courtesy of Clare (2) and Keith (1).
 
Leaders MK Phoenix continued their winning ways with a 7-3 success over Greenleys Glory. Terry Lau took most of the plaudits in this one with a great hat-trick at the expenses of Scott Dixon, Christine Scaysbrook and Jacob Midson, although Jacob had a good match himself with wins over Mervyn Phillips and Gerald Ridgway plus a doubles success with Scott against the Mervyn/Terry combination.
 
Bottom team Chackmore Hasbeens spent the New Year break catching up on outstanding matches, playing twice in 24 hours to pick up a much needed 10 points.  First they hammered a 2-man MK Topspin side 7-3 and followed up the very next evening by taking 3 points from MK Phoenix.  Star man Bub Burman picked up a useful brace from each match which include the prize scalp of previously unbeaten Mervyn Phillips.
 
This new improved Chackmore Hasbeens fought out a draw with Leighton Buzzard Avengers in another terrific match in week 10 itself.  Yet one more Bub Burman brace and another from Andy Whitehead in addition to their regular doubles win ensured a share of the points for Hasbeens, leaving Sam Willett to ponder on ‘the one that got away’ in his epic tussle with Richard Hardy, which was lost 16-14 in the 5th.  Christinal Hulpan (2 wins) and Alex Du Noyer (1) were the other Avengers.
 
Player of the week : Russell Penn