Division 2 Roundup - Week 14 (Christmas)!

Published 21/12/2023 at 23:19:29 by Martin Johnson.

Mosquitoes Bite Title Contenders

The final week of League matches of 2023 has taken place, to complete the second of three rounds between the teams.  Only a couple of fixtures have been postponed, and both are scheduled to be played in the first week of January, after which all teams will have played 14 matches, with just 7 each to go.

The big match this week was between the two equal-second placed teams.  Long-time leaders, Leighton Buzzard Spitfires, who had a game in hand on the team above just them, and were unbeaten and on a run of five wins, faced Woburn Sands Mosquitoes, level on points with them, but having played two matches more.  Spitfires started strongly, moving 2-0 up as Graham Silversides despatched Glenn Bartram and then Andy King squeaked through 11-9 in the fifth against Rob McPheat, as Spitfies looked good to maintain their unbeaten record.  However, Mosquitoes came buzzing back, zapping the next seven sets without reply, to ensure a first defeat of the season for Spitfires.  Andy King limited the damage in the final set by beating Glenn, but in between it was all Mosquitoes, who ran out 7-3 winners in the end.  Andy Jenkins picked up a fine treble for Mosquitoes, only dropping two games, whilst Glenn and Rob won a straight games doubles against Andy King and Graham.  Rob won twice and Glenn won once for Mosquitoes to complete their scoring, leaving only Spitfire's Filip Simek without a win on the night, although he pushed Rob to 11-8 in the decider.  The win moves Mosquitoes up to sole second place, just two points behind the leaders, although having played one extra match, whilst Spitfires drop to third place for now, but they are just six points behind the leaders and with a match in hand.  It has certainly opened up the title race, and leaves the top three teams much closer, so it will be all to play for in the final third of the season.

With the two other likely title contenders battling it out against each other, leaders Mursley Hawks took on eighth-placed Milton Keynes Pioneers.  Despite the gap in League positions, the final score was quite close, with Hawks taking it 6-4 - the second time Pioneers had taken four points off Hawks.  Hawks started the better, and moved ahead to 6-2, although they had close calls in a couple of those!  However, Pioneers hit back in the final two sets of the night to narrow the final margin to just two sets on the night.  Individually, it was the customary maximum for Mick O'Mahony of Hawks, including an amazing doubles with Ian Spanswick which they *just* won, somehow, against Andy Frearson and Terry Lau - see more below.  Ian and David Bartlett also won one singles each for Hawks, to complete their scoring, whilst for Pioneers, it was two wins for Kareem Omar, and one each for Andy and Terry, as well as that almost win in the doubles!  Going into the match, Hawks held the only remaining 100% doubles record in the whole League, but it was under very severe threat as Andy and Terry went 2-0 up, and they went on to have ten set points over the course of the next three legs, but, Mick and Ian just would not lie down, and *somehow* batted off all ten set points, and took each of sets three, four and five by 12-10 margins, and so maintain their 100% doubles record, leaving Pioneers wondering how they couldn't get that final point!  Their seventh win in a row leaves Hawks in the Christmas #1 spot, two points ahead of Mosquitoes, who've played a match more, and six points ahead of Spitfires, who have a match in hand, and due to play them in early January !

Fourth-placed Newport Pagnell Lagondas took on sixth-placed Greenleys Sultans of Spin, and it was Lagondas who ran out 8-2 winners.  Sultans of Spin won both the first set and the last set, as Ricky Jackson (at 11-8 in the fifth) and then Robert Anderson got the better of Michael Howard, but Lagondas took all the intervening sets, despite several going to deciding legs.  Tony Ardis and Chris Horn did the damage for Lagondas, both winning all their singles, as well as pairing up to take the doubles against Robert and Ricky.  Michael took the other point for Lagondas, defeating Tony Edwardson.  Aside from the first and last set wins, Robert twice took his opponent to five, and Ricky also went to five games once, but each time they lost out in the decider.  Two big wins in a row, now, for Lagondas, has moved them a bit nearer to the top three, but still effectively nine points away from the bottom of the promotion battle.  Sultans of Spin stay sixth, still a point ahead of seventh, but now 18 points adrift of the team above them.

The final match of the week saw a fifth win in a row for a resurgent fifth-placed Milton Keynes Powers, who were in the relegation zone a few weeks back.  They beat seventh-placed Greenleys Valiants, 8-2.  Keith Carrington was the star for Powers, winning all his three singles, only dropping two legs along the way.  Teammates Andy Pearson and Paul Tompkins each chipped in with two singles wins, plus a share of the doubles against Lewis Copp and Slava Volokha.  Peter Carr and Lewis each won once mid-match to give their team hope at 4-2 down, but Powers shut the door on them by taking all the rest.  Powers have now moved well clear of the bottom three teams with their run of wins, and are just four points behind fourth, whilst Valiants remain seventh, still just one point behind fellow Greenleys team, Sultans of Spin.

The League program now takes a break for Christmas and New Year, whilst the Cup intervenes during three weeks of January, however, Spitfires are due to catch up the remaining two postponed matches in the Division, with consecutive matches on 3rd / 4th January, respectively against Pioneers, and then against Hawks, the latter of which could be pivotal in determining which team will win the Division, and which team will join them in promotion at the end of the season.  As it stands (before Spitfires play Pioneers), Hawks lead by six points, but Spitfires have a match in hand.  With Mosquitoes also in the hunt, it could be a fascinating conclusion to the season.

Player of the Week : Andy Jenkins.