Division 2 Roundup - Week 11

Following two weeks in which six of the eight matches were 5-5 draws, this week saw each of the top four in Division 2 pick up a good win against one of the bottom four teams, opening up something of a divide.

Biggest winners were Greenleys Princes, who visited Milton Keynes Blades, and came away with a big 10-0 victory, in very short order.  Blades were once again down to just two players, after two weeks of full teams and two draws, but this week their regular pairing of Bill Tyler and Mark Thomas were overwhelmed by the Princes trio of Tom Davey, Saravana Kumar and Gary Viner, with Bill the only one to even win a single leg, as he pushed Tom to four close games, but with Princes winning all the remaining legs 11-7 or better, bar one 11-9 in the doubles, won by Tom & Saravana, it was all over quite quickly.  Princes thus extend their unbeaten run to four matches, and have closed to within three points of the Division leaders, still with a match in hand, and at the halfway point of the season, are looking the slight favourites for the title.  Blades search for their first win continues, but that's now ten without a win, and they are looking likely to go down, sitting some 17 points away from the team above them, albeit with a match in hand.

Leaders, Newport Pagnell Lagondas, returned to winning ways, securing a 7-3 victory against Little Horwood Wooden Tops, with much of the damage done by Sue Lewis, who recorded a maximum, including the doubles with Tony Ardis against Bill Higgins and John Sharp.  Chris Horn also won twice for Lagondas, only losing out to John, whilst Tony picked up the remaining Lagondas point in a tight four gamer against Andy Hooper.  For Wooden Tops, Bill had given Wooden Tops a winning start in set one, but it was mostly Lagondas from that point on, until John grabbed two wins later in the evening, to limit the margin of victory.  Lagondas remain top, but their lead over Princes is down to just three points, and Princes still have a match in hand, whilst Wooden Tops remain fifth, but are now 12 points back from the team above them.

Third placed Mursley Hawks broke a run of two draws, as they, too, recorded a 7-3 win in their match against sixth placed Open University Shockwave.  Another draw had looked a good possibility after the opening two sets were very close, with Martin Johnson ending a run of seven wins by Charity Wong in a five game victory, whilst Charles Tien hit back to edge out Mick O'Mahony over four close games, all ending 11-9.  New Shockwave player, Ganiyu Adebanjo, was unlucky to lose out in three tight games against David Bartlett, and Hawks flew further ahead as Martin and Mick came through three tight games in the doubles against Charity and Charles.  Set five was the closest of all, with Charity again losing out in a deciding game, this time 9-11 in the fifth against Mick.  Charles and Charity each picked up a win against David to narrow the scores, but Martin & Mick each won their remaining sets, to see Hawks through to the 7-3 win, to keep them in third, six points back from the leaders.  Shockwave remain sixth, four points ahead of the relegation zone.

Chackmore Hasbeens in fourth spot took on Leighton Buzzard Spitfires in seventh, and it ended up as the third 7-3 scoreline of the week, as Hasbeens broke a run of two draws with their win.  Bub Burman supplied the regular maximum, winning his three singles, and teamed up with Andy Whitehead in the doubles, as they made it nine wins from nine in that department.  Andy picked up two singles win, in addition to the doubles success, but lost out to Graham Silversides in his final singles.  Sam Willett picked up the remining Hasbeens point, defeating Filip Simek, but found new Spitfires player, Barry Hammond, just too good on the night.  Graham picked up the other Spitfires win, to keep Spitfires just four points away from the safety of sixth place, whilst Hasbeens stay fourth, just behind Hawks, but also with a vital match in hand.

Next week sees the second match up between Princes and Hasbeens, with the top three players in the Averages potentially in action, whilst leaders, Lagondas, visit Spitfires.  In the other two matches, Wooden Tops take on Hawks and Blades visit Shockwave.

Player(s) of the Week : Sue Lewis, Bub Burman and Martin Johnson. 
 

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