Division 2 Roundup - Week 17

This was the week of "the big match" at the top of Division 2, as leaders Milton Keynes Sharks visited second placed Woburn Sands Mosquitoes, who were six points behind but with a match in hand, to play each other for the third and last time this season.  Sharks had won the previous two encounters, 6-4 and 7-3, but their lead at the top has gradually been narrowed over the last few weeks.  The expected close match ensued, with five of the ten sets going to a fifth leg, all of these finishing with a narrow win one way or the other, however perhaps the bigger surprise was that neither team had their most successful player playing, with unbeaten James Molloy absent for Mosquitoes, but Derick Rodrigues also absent for Sharks.  The close sets happened right from the off, with Rob McPheat going 2-0 up for Mosquitoes against Ruper Greyling, only for Rupert to level it up a 2-2, but in the end it was Rob who just edged through at 11-9 in the decider.  In the next set, Pedro Anastacio came from 2-1 down against Andy Jenkins to take an even closer deciding leg, 12-10 in the fifth.  Glenn Barcham put Mosquitoes back ahead, winning in four legs against Abhay Tijare, despite dropping the second leg, 1-11, but the match was all square again as Pedro & Rupert effected another win the the fifth in a topsy turvy doubles against Rob & Andy.  Sets were exchanged as Rupert beat Andy in four and Pedro took the closest set of the night 16-14 in the fifth against Glenn, whilst Rob and Andy each defeated Abhay more comfortably.  At 4-4 and it was yet another five leg set, in which Glenn pulled back from 2-0 down to Rupert, only for Rupert to seal it 11-8 in the decider.  The full set of wins over Mosquitoes beckoned, but Rob held off Pedro in a close four games in the final set, to leave the final score 5-5, and so leave the top of the table still very finely balanced.  Both teams thus extended their unbeaten run, Mosquitoes to six in a row and Sharks to four in a row, whilst Rob took the individual honours.

Further down the table, Mursley Hawks in fifth took on Little Horwood Wooden Tops in sixth, and it was Hawks who won the match 6-4, although they were helped by the absence of a third Wooden Tops player, leaving Andy Hooper and John Sharp to take on the Hawks trio of David Bartlett, Ian Spanswick and Martin Johnson.  Wooden Tops won the first two sets played, as Andy beat Martin over five legs, then John beat Ian in four games, but Hawks captain, David, came to the rescue with narrow fourth game wins over both Andy & John.  John picked up another win against Martin, but Ian edged his set against Andy at 11-9 in the decider, whilst Andy & John took the doubles against David & Ian, to be 4-3 up in the sets played on the night, but with no third player, they lost the match 6-4, to leave them 18 points adrift of Hawks in the table.

The final match of the week pitted third placed Newport Pagnell Lagondas away to fourth placed Leighton Buzzard Spitfires.  Glen Davison took the opening set against Graham Silversides for Lagondas, and then Chris Horn  won the third set against Dwight Edwards, to temporarily put Lagondas 2-1 up at that point, but that's as good as it got for them.  Michael Howard made his debut appearance on the table, this season, but his lack of practice told as he lost all three, although he went close against Dwight, just losing out 11-7 in the decider.  Andy King put in a majestic performance to win all of his sets for Spitfires, also winning the doubles with Graham against Glen & Michael, and with Dwight and Graham each winning twice, Spitfires picked up their third 8-2 win in four weeks, a run of results which sees them overtake Lagondas for third spot, and move to within six points of second placed Mosquitoes.

Player of the Week : Andy King.
 

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