Division 2 Roundup - Cup Round of 16
Wooden Tops and Hawks Continue to Fly the Flag
The two Division 2 teams remaining in the Challenge Cup Round of 16 both had very narrow victories, to reach the Quarter-Finals.
Little Horwood Wooden Tops had to overcome a 100 point handicap against Greenleys Zainabaya, who are third in Division 4. Things were close, throughout, although it was Zainabaya who started the stronger, only conceding a net three points in the two opening sets, to effectively lead by 17 at that stage. Wooden Tops fought back, and had edged ahead by the doubles, but fortunes continued to fluctuate as the net lead changed hands several times, with Zainabaya still slightly ahead after set 7. However, it was Wooden Tops who finished the stronger, with Paul Reynolds turning the tide in set 9, that lead to the eventual narrow victory by just 4 points.
It was a similar story for Mursley Hawks, who faced a 140 point handicap against Division 5's second-placed Open University Explorers. The two teams remained virtually locked together on net scores up to set 5, at which point neither team had lead by more than one point, but whilst Mark Dixon edged Hawks ahead by 5 points after set 6, Explorers battled back to move eight points ahead after set 8. David Bartlett pulled four points back in set 9 for Hawks, leaving Mark to snatch the victory by just 5 points, in the final set.
These two teams will each be joined by another team from their own club, as both Little Horwood Destroyers and Mursley Magpies also won through. A third club with two teams through to the final eight are Great Brickhill, as Badgers and Foxes were both victorious. The last eight will be completed by Division 1's Milton Keynes Topspin and Division 3's Woburn Sands Wolves.
It's back to League action this coming week, with second versus fourth, as Hawks take on Leighton Buzzard Van Hire, whilst third-placed Wooden Tops visit seventh-placed Milton Keynes Cavaliers. The other match sees fifth versus sixth, as Woburn Sands Mosquitoes entertain Open University Shockwaves.
Player(s) of the Week : Paul Reynolds and Mark Dixon.
Team(s) of the Week : Little Horwood Wooden Tops and Mursley Hawks.