Division 2 Roundup - Week 5

Mosquitoes Extend Lead

Week 5 of the season in Division 2 featured one 6-4 scoreline, two scores of 7-3 and one of 8-2, with a bit of a gap opening up at the top of the Division, and gaps starting to open up further down the table.

The closest result of the week saw fourth-placed Newport Pagnell Lagondas defeat eighth-placed Little Horwood Wooden Tops 6-4, despite three singles wins by Paul Reynolds for Wooden Tops.  The match was finely balanced for most of the evening, with neither team more than 1 set ahead, until Lagondas took the final two singles sets from 4-4, to emerge as winners.  Yongwang Tian and Glen Davison each won two singles and a share in the doubles win against Paul and James McAfferty for Lagondas, with Michael Howard adding a further singles for them, whilst for Wooden Tops, John Sharp gained their other point in the opener against Michael.  Lagondas remain in fourth spot, whilst despite a fifth defeat in a row, Wooden Tops move up to seventh spot.

The big early season clash at the top of the table saw leaders Woburn Sands Mosquitoes enhance their lead at the top, with their 7-3 win at second-placed Open University Shockwaves, with individual honours going to Rob McPheat for Mosquitoes with a maximum, including a close doubles win with Robert Mungham against Tiger Tan and Charity Wong.  Robert also picked up two singles wins, with Andy Jenkins adding the other win for Mosquitoes, whilst for Shockwaves, Tiger won twice, including the first singles defeat of the season for Robert, and Charity won once, leaving Yi Cao without a win, despite pushing Rob to a fifth game.  As a result, Mosquitoes have opened up a six point gap at the top, ahead of Shockwaves, who are now in equal second place.

The second 7-3 result of the week had five sets going the distance, four of them going very close in the decider, but it was third-placed Leighton Buzzard Spitfires who came away with the victory on their visit to fifth-placed Milton Keynes Powers.  For Spitfires, both Edward Lock and Peter Dixon picked up maximums, as they each won their three singles, plus shared the doubles win against Paul Tompkins and Kareem Omar, but no luck for Graham Silversides, who twice lost out narrowly (8-11 and 11-13) in deciding games.  For Powers, Keith Carrington matched Paul and Kareem, as they each won one singles, with Paul and Kareem going the closest to a second singles win, as they each lost out at 8-11 in one singles.  The result moves Spitfires up to equal second place, whilst Powers drop a place to sixth.

The biggest win of the week belonged to sixth-placed Greenleys Moghuls, who scored a big 8-2 win against seventh-placed Mursley Hawks, as both Marshall Domingo and Aaron Moore won all their singles, as both retained their 100% records, with Marshall also teaming up with Jose Blecau to win the doubles against Martin Johnson and Ian Spanswick.  Jose added the final point for Moghuls, with a narrow win against Ian, whilst for Hawks, Martin and Division 4 reserve, Todd Agnew, each won one singles to complete the scoring, with only three sets on the night going beyond three legs, with none going to five.  Moghuls have moved up to fifth spot as a result, whilst Hawks drop back to the bottom of the table by a point.

Next week features seventh versus sixth as Wooden Tops host Powers, then Lagondas in fourth visit leaders, Mosquitoes, followed by Spitfires (equal second) entertaining Hawks (eighth) and Shockwaves (equal second) taking on Moghuls (fifth).

Player of the Week : Rob McPheat.
Team of the Week : Greenleys Moghuls.