The meeting of the top two teams in Division Three of the Clacton & District League saw leaders Nomads Jaguars record a resounding 8-2 victory over Windsor Penguins.
Doug Green and Harry Hawkes notched up maximum points for the Jaguars, although Hawkes struggled before beating Allen Denyer 11-6 in the fifth. For the Penguins, Denyer won 11-5 in the decider against Kevin Hume, only a second defeat of the season for Hume, whilst Jackie Bunce and Paul Dale took the doubles in three-straight against Hawkes and Hume.
The Jaguars are the class team of the division and now, with a lead of nine points and two matches in hand over their nearest challengers, look unstoppable.
But the battle for the runners-up spot is hotting up nicely, the Penguins’ defeat allowing Nomads Pumas to move above them by a single point after a comfortable 9-1 victory over Windsor Merlins. Alan Dockerill and Andrew Cousins remained unbeaten for the Pumas, with Sharon Gowlett’s success against Lionel Goddard the Merlins’ sole consolation point.
Nomads Leopards and Walton D enjoyed a competitive mid-table scrap before the Leopards edged it 6-4. Bob Jillins won three and Stuart Wilkinson two, with the pair taking the doubles. Wilkinson’s 3-2 (5-11, 11-6, 3-11, 16-14, 11-9) victory over Lynette Sparks ultimately proved crucial. For Walton, Tony Sharman won two, and Sparks and Maggie Earle one apiece.
The Nomads Ocelots v Nomads Lynx match proved to be something of a collector’s item as, for the first time in the League’s history, a match ended in a 7-1 scoreline. This bizarre outcome was a consequence of the Ocelots having only two players, including a guest, whilst the Lynx’s trio also included a guest player. It was a second win of the season for the Lynx but, more importantly, James Horsler recorded his debut League victory.
In Division One, Walton E were surprise 7-3 winners against Walton B, an exact reverse of their early-season score. Gary Stallwood took three, Mark Gale two and Mark Ratcliffe one, while Colin Dearman’s couple for the ‘B’ team included an 11-6 in the fifth victory against Gale.
This result lifts Walton E out of the bottom two places and will, at the same time, send a shiver of relegation concern through the Walton B squad who are now only four points above the relegation zone.
At the other end of the table, Walton A showed no mercy on Nomads Lions, winning 10-0 with only one match extended beyond the regulation three-straight. There were hat-tricks for Gary Young, Gavin Price and Daniel Young, the talented Clacton junior maintaining his season’s one hundred per cent record.
It was also 10-0 for Brotherhood A against a Walton C team which fielded a guest player. Alan Burgess, Kevin Gowlett and John Andrews were all unbeaten but Walton’s captain, Paul Newbould, came close to getting a point, losing 11-6 in the fifth to Burgess and 12-10 in the fifth to Andrews.
Nomads Panthers were 9-1 winners over Windsor Eagles, James Denyer and John Hatley each taking trebles. The Eagles’ point came from the reliable bat of Phil Smith, a 3-2 (11-4, 5-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7) winner against Greg Green.
There was a second 9-1 scoreline as Windsor Hawks defeated Brotherhood B, with Felipe Rodriguez and Andy Vincent taking maximum points. Paul Alden picked up a welcome personal win for Brotherhood, edging past Roger Hance 11-8 in the decider.
It’s neck-and-neck at the top of Division Two with the two leading teams, Brotherhood D and Brotherhood C, both recording identical victories.
There were hat-tricks for Barry Allen, Lee Allen and Grant Sharpe in Brotherhood D’s 9-1 victory over bottom-team Windsor Magpies. However, the Magpies had the satisfaction of winning the doubles, the two Daves, Martin and Sweetland, defeating the two Allens, Barry and Lee, 11-7 in the decider.
The ‘C’ team were also 9-1 winners, this against Brotherhood E, with Mark Salter and Russell Hillier taking trebles. But Salter had to fight hard to beat a dogged Tony Edmonds 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9) whilst it was 11-5 in the fifth for Hillier against Kevin Pryor. Frank Burbidge won two for the winners but lost 12-10 in the fourth to Pryor.
Lawford dropped back in the pecking order with a surprise defeat at the hands of lowly Windsor Harriers. Paul Hewitt took his expected maximum, but two each for Ferdy Rodriguez and Isabel Barton, an 11-8 in the fifth win for Jenny Higgins against Ian Sherwood, and an 11-7 in the fifth doubles victory for Rodriguez and Barton against Hewitt and Sherwood, saw the Harriers to a welcome 6-4 victory.
But it was a bad week for another of the struggling sides, Brotherhood G, who lost 10-0 to Windsor Buzzards. Pete Bloomfield, back in action for the Buzzards, Andy Cawley and John Harvey, all stayed unbeaten. Cawley crowned his first hat-trick of the season with an 11-6 in the fifth win over John Gallagher whilst, in another five-setter, Bloomfield defeated Mark Beckham 11-5 in the final set.
Three for David North and two for Mike Wellum were the foundations of Nomads Bobcats’ 6-4 win over Windsor Kestrels, although it was the pair’s 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-8) win over Graham Bunce and Kayley Rodriguez which proved pivotal. Bunce with two, and Rodriguez and Debra Found with one each, took the Kestrels’ points, Found beating Caroline Page 11-8 in the fifth.
* The Handicap Singles Tournament takes place this Saturday (8th February) at St James’ Hall. Details of start times will be sent to all entrants beforehand. Any player who has not received this information by Friday 7th February should contact either Peter White or Tony Oswick.
RESULTS
Division 1
Brotherhood A 10 Walton C 0
Windsor Hawks 9 Brotherhood B 1
Walton A 10 Nomads Lions 0
Walton B 3 Walton E 7
Nomads Panthers 9 Windsor Eagles 1
Division 2
Brotherhood E 1 Brotherhood C 9
Windsor Buzzards 10 Brotherhood G 0
Windsor Kestrels 4 Nomads Bobcats 6
Brotherhood D 9 Windsor Magpies 1
Lawford 4 Windsor Harriers 6
Division 3
Nomads Pumas 9 Windsor Merlins 1
Nomads Ocelots 1 Nomads Lynx 7
Windsor Penguins 2 Nomads Jaguars 8
Walton D 4 Nomads Leopards 6