Division 1 Roundup - Week 12

Sasaki Surge Ahead

The League schedule is fast closing in on the two thirds point of the season (which it will reach by Christmas), and positions are starting to firm up, although there is still a bit of volatility in mid-table.  This week finally saw the first 10-0 of the season.

Milton Keynes Sasaki have tightened their hold on top position even further, storming to the first 10-0 of the season, against struggling Mursley Hawks, to make it eight wins and a draw in their last nine matches, whilst it is eleven losses in a row for Hawks. The evening started with a five game set, with David Bartlett fighting back from 2-0 down to Michael Wilkins, but it turned out to be the high point of the evening for Hawks, with Michael taking the decider, and then with teammates, Minesh Pitamber and William Kit Liang, they did not even lose another game, reeling off 28 consecutive games, with only one of those even reaching 11-9.  Michael and Minesh took the doubles against the Hawks pairing of David and Ian Spanswick, to each record maximums, whilst Martin Johnson made up the numbers for Hawks.  The result moves Sasaki out to thirteen points clear at the top, whilst Hawks are now ten points adrift of seventh spot.

Second-placed Milton Keynes Phoenix hosted fourth-placed Chackmore Hasbeens, and in a match with plenty of close sets, it ended with honours even in a 5-5 draw.  For Hasbeens, Bub Burman was the only player to win all his singles sets, although Ivor Howard pushed him close before losing out 8-11 in the decider.  For Phoenix, their main scorer was Alan Bolding with two singles wins, plus a tight doubles win, with Ivor, over the Hasbeens duo of Bub and Andy Whitehead. Andy also grabbed two singles wins for Hasbeens, to complete their scoring.  The other two singles wins for Phoenix were one each for Gerald Ridgway and for Ivor, with Ivor going closer to improving that tally, as he lost his second decider at 8-11, against Andy.  Phoenix remain in second place, but now some distance behind Sasaki, and just five points ahead of Avengers in third, whilst Hasbeens have now been joined in equal fourth place by Pumas.

Third-placed Leighton Buzzard Avengers helped their cause with their 8-2 win against seventh-placed clubmates, Leighton Buzzard Spitfires.  Graham Silversides started the evening well for Spitfires with a narrow victory over Dave Broome, at 11-9 in the decider, but thereafter it was mainly Avengers who dominated, as on form players Mateusz Browarnik and Fabrice Spelta both won all their singles sets, with Mateusz not dropping a game.  Mateusz completed a maximum as he and Dave also won the doubles against Graham and Filip Simek.  Barry Hammond took the second point of the night for Spitfires with a straight games win over Dave in set six, but Avengers cruised through the rest to complete a win that cements their third spot, although still five points away from the promotion positions.  Spitfires stay seventh, nine points behind the safety of sixth.

Fifth-placed Milton Keynes Pumas hosted Milton Keynes Sharks, who were one place below them, and it was Pumas who made it four consecutive wins as they edged it 6-4, to move them up to equal fourth place.  Both teams had one substitute playing, but it was the Sharks reserve who won out, as Malcolm Whetstone beat Omar Kareem, to gain the first Sharks point of the night, after Andy Smith had beaten Rupert Greyling and Adam Snowdon had defeated Abhay Tijare. Andy and Adam then combined to also beat Rupert and Abhay in the doubles, with Andy going on to complete a maximum.  Despite the earlier defeat in the battle of the substitutes, Kareem picked up a singles win later on the night as he was victorious against Abhay, and also pushed Rupert to a deciding leg before losing out 6-11 in the fifth, whilst Malcolm picked up his second win of the night, against Adam.  The result leaves Sharks still sixth, but now nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Next week schedules Sasaki away at Hasbeens, whilst Phoenix take on their clubmates Pumas.   The remaining matches feature Avengers visiting Hawks, plus it is sixth versus seventh, as Sharks host Spitfires.

Player of the Week : Mateusz Browarnik.
Team of the Week : Milton Keynes Sasaki.