Division 1 Roundup - Week 15

Published 18/01/2025 at 20:35:22 by Martin Johnson.

Sasaki Sailing Ahead

With the League schedule having now started its final third of the season, the long-time leaders, Milton Keynes Sasaki, have put more daylight between themselves and their pursuers, after a good win over one of their two nearest challengers, whilst the other was held to a draw.

Milton Keynes Sasaki started slowly in their encounter with third-placed Milton Keynes Phoenix, going down 2-1 early on, but they changed up a gear from there, to go on to complete an emphatic 8-2 win, which moves them twelve points clear at the top of the table.  In the early encounters, Phoenix's Alan Bolding got the better of Minesh Pitamber in four games, and Mervyn Phillips beat William Kit Liang in straight games, but both Minesh and William won their remaining two singles sets, whilst top of the Averages, Michael Wilkins, scored another maximum, to make it ten singles wins on the trot, including a doubles win with William against Mervyn and Gerald Ridgway.  The only tight game after that early 2-1 scoreline was when Alan took William to five games, but William finally won it 11-7 in the decider.  The result leaves Phoenix still third, now seven points adrift of second-place, although they do have one match in hand.

Second-placed Leighton Buzzard Avengers were playing fifth-placed Milton Keynes Pumas, and there was never much in the scoreline, until Avengers edged ahead 5-3, after being 3-2 down earlier on.  However, Pumas battled back and finally secured the 5-5 draw, as Adam Snowdon came from 2-1 down in the final set, to get past Dave Broome in five games, to secure the draw.  Earlier on it was Pumas' Andy Smith who kept his side in the match, as he secured a maximum, including the doubles with Neil Riddy, in a five-gamer against Matteusz Browarnik and Steve Jordan.  Neil was unable to add a singles win to his share of the doubles, in only his second match back, whilst for Avengers, it was one win for Dave, plus two each for Matteusz and Steve.  Avengers are now twelve points back from Sasaki, but have put seven points between themselves and Phoenix in third, as the battle for the second promotion spot hots up.  Pumas stay comfortably fifth, with something of a gap both above them and below them.

Fourth-placed Chackmore Hasbeens took on Leighton Buzzard Spitfires in seventh, and it was Hasbeens who got off to the fast start, going 4-0 up after the doubles, as their trio of Sam Willett, Andy Whitehead and Bub Burman each won their opening singles, whilst Bub and Andy then combined to beat Andy King and Filip Simek in the doubles.  Spitfires managed to keep on even terms from that point, as the two teams shared the remaining six sets, to give Hasbeens a 7-3 win at the end of the night.  Sam Willett went the night unbeaten, for his first treble of the season, whilst Bub won two singles and Andy (W) won one singles.  For Spitfires, Barry Hammond managed two singles wins, both in five games, against Bub and Andy (W), and Andy King grabbed the remaining singles win to complete the scoring.

The final match of the week produced the most surprising result, as bottom team, Mursley Hawks, finally ending a sequence of thirteen consecutive losses, to edge a 6-4 win against sixth-placed Milton Keynes Sharks, largely due to the efforts of their occasional reserve, Mark Dixon, who scored a maximum for them, without dropping a game.  Mark was backed up by Ian Spanswick, who shared in the doubles win with Mark against Rupert Greyling and Sarah Hudson, and also snatched his first singles win of the season against Abhay Tijare, and also by Martin Johnson, who bounced back from losing his opener to Abhay in five games, to give Abhay only his second win of the season, by edging past Rupert Greyling in five games.  Sarah picked up two singles wins for Sharks, to add to one singles win each for Rupert and Abhay, to complete the scoring.  Despite the win, Hawks remain some sixteen points adrift of Spitfires in front of them, with Sharks a further six points ahead and with one match in hand.

Next week again switches to Challenge Cup play, as the six Division 1 teams involved in the event, play in the second round of the Group qualifiers, with all six teams playing teams from either Division 2 or Division 3, so will all be giving away sizable handicap starts, ranging from 60 points up to 180 points.

Player of the Week : Sam Willett.
Team of the Week : Milton Keynes Sasaki.