Division 2 Roundup - Week 4

Published 14/10/2023 at 17:18:25 by Martin Johnson.

Flyers Fly to the Top

Week 4 in Division 2 has seen the three teams whose names relate to flying take over at the top of the table, as Spitfires, Hawks and Mosquitoes open up a gap on the remaining teams, and are the only three teams still with an unbeaten record so far this season.

Leaders, Leighton Buzzard Spitfires, scored the first 10-0 win of the season, overcoming previously second placed Greenleys Valiants, as Graham Silversides, Andy King and Barry Hammond won all their sets, with Graham and Andy adding the doubles against Peter Carr and Slava Volokha, with James Carter making up the Valiants trio.  James pushed Barry to five games in one set, but the remainder were won three straight, although Peter had to pull out part way through his second singles.  The win takes Spitfires four points clear at the top of the table, whilst Valiants have dropped from second to fourth.

Third placed Mursley Hawks also had a big win, 9-1 against Greenleys Sultans of Spin.  David Bartlett and Martin Johnson each scored maximums, including maintaining Hawks' 100% doubles record, against Ricky Jackson and Rob Anderson, and they were backed up by two wins for Ian Spanswick.  The consolation win for Sultans of Spin came from Ricky, who also went very close against Martin, just losing out 11-9 in the fifth, having been 9-7 up!  Despite the one-sided scoreline, only one set was in straight games, with two going to a fifth leg and the other seven to four legs, with several of them close.  Tony Edwardson completed the Sultans of Spin team, with the result dropping them one place to seventh, whilst the win for Hawks takes them up to second spot.

The third 'flyer' team to win was Woburn Sands Mosquitoes, who defeated Newport Pagnell Lagondas 8-2, as both James Molloy and Rob McPheat scored maximums, whilst Glenn Barcham added one more win for Mosquitoes.  For Lagondas, Glen Davison and Chris Horn each won once, but it was James and Rob who won the doubles against Glen and Michael Howard to complete the scoring.  As is often the case, despite the big win for one side, many of the sets were close, and in this match, seven of the sets went to four legs.  The Mosquitoes win takes them up to third spot, whilst Lagondas remain in fifth place.

The final match saw the two Milton Keynes teams take each other on in a basement battle, and it ended all square as Milton Keynes Powers drew 5-5 with Milton Keynes Pioneers.  Kareem Omar was the individual start of the show, winning his three singles for Pioneers, aided by a win each for Terry Lau and Andy Frearson.  The Powers wins came courtesy of two each for Paul Tompkins and Peter Tillotson, who also teamed up to take the doubles against Andy and Kareem, whilst Keith Carrington was unable to add to his team's total.  The result means Pioneers have edged up to sixth spot, whilst Powers remain eighth, but now only two points behind the team ahead of them.

Player of the Week : David Bartlett.