There are few players in the Clacton & District League who show more grit, determination and enthusiasm in their play than long-serving Division One player Martin Edwards.
And those qualities were shown in abundance this week in Brotherhood B’s match with Walton B, the Brotherhood captain chalking up his first maximum of the season to lead his side to a hard-fought 6-4 victory.
In an encounter where five of the individual matches went the distance, Edwards battled out an 11-7 in the fifth win over Colin Dearman and an 11-8 in the fifth win over Jason Gale before his attacking prowess proved too much for arch-defender Derek Willis, Edwards defeating the Walton No 1 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-6).
Gracie Edwards won two for Brotherhood whilst, for Walton, there two for Willis and one each for Dearman and Gale. But, in the crucial doubles, granddad Martin and granddaughter Gracie combined in good family fashion to see out Dearman and Gale 3-2 (13-11, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11).
Elsewhere, Nomads Panthers were 9-1 winners against Windsor Hawks, Gill Locke and James Denyer recording trebles. Andy Vincent was the only Windsor player to trouble the reigning champions, beating Colin Webber and taking both Locke and Denyer to a fifth set.
Walton A are having a strong season and they continued their good form with a comprehensive 9-1 victory over lowly Windsor Kestrels. Gavin Price and Kevin James remained undefeated with only Dave Martin’s victory over Paul Woolnough preventing the whitewash.
Nomads Lions caused a minor surprise, winning four of the five matches which went the distance to take the honours 6-4 against Windsor Condors. Paul Hume once again showed he’s not a player to be underestimated, his hat-trick including an impressive 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6) win over the reigning Men’s Singles champion Colin Stallwood.
Ethan Lloyd chipped in with two excellent wins, which included an 11-7 in the fifth victory over Felipe Rodriguez, whilst Roger Hance beat the same player by the same score. For the Condors, Stallwood won twice and Annabelle Rodriguez had a three-straight win over Hance, whilst the pair took the doubles 11-8 in the decider against Hume and Lloyd.
Walton C are struggling for points this season and they will be grateful to have shared the spoils with Windsor Eagles. An unbeaten Peter Burrows was their main man, with Paul Newbould and Graham Buxton supporting with one win each. Gary Cattermole and Phil Smith each took a couple for the Eagles and shared an ebb-and-flow 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-8) doubles victory against Burrows and Buxton.
Brotherhood C included a reserve in their side to face struggling Brotherhood D but Mark Ratcliffe came up trumps by winning two and, with Oli Reynolds and Kevin Gowlett staying unbeaten, the ‘C’ team took the match 8-2. Lee Harvey won a point for the losers and, alongside Grant Sharpe, took a surprise victory in the doubles, 11-7 in the fifth, against Reynolds and Gowlett.
The big match in Division Two saw Lawford beat Nomads Tigers 6-4. Lawford were once again indebted to in-form Paul Hewitt for taking an unbeaten three. James Tindle, in his first appearance this season, won a couple for Lawford, including a victory in five over Pawel Szemro. Daryl Lott won two for the Tigers, Szemro and John Marshall one each.
There was a meeting of two more promotion hopefuls in the all-Brotherhood clash, the ‘F’ team edging it 6-4 over the ‘I’ team. Barry Allen and Lawrence Torr each took two for the losers, and Lee Allen one. But none of them could get the better of another in-form player, Paul Alden, who remained unbeaten for the losers. Fred Gallone picked up the fourth Brotherhood F point.
Three for Ray Chillingworth, and two each for Pete Bloomfield and Dan Malinowski, gave Windsor Buzzards an 8-2 win against Brotherhood E. Duncan Dunne was the Brotherhood points-winner, beating Bloomfield 11-7 in the fifth and Malinowski 11-9 in the fifth.
It was also 8-2 for Nomads Jaguars against Windsor Magpies, Mike Wellum and Andy Cawley notching up hat-tricks. There was a win each for Dave Sweetland and John Plummer for the Magpies, Sweetland beating Caroline North 11-9 in the decider in the only match which went the distance.
There was a first treble of the season for Tricia Salter in Brotherhood H’s 9-1 success over Walton D. Mark Salter and Woody Fitzpatrick also stayed unbeaten but the Walton side are nothing if not fighters, John Bonner and John Long enjoying unexpected success in the doubles against Fitzpatrick and Tricia Salter, coming through 3-2 (9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9).
There were three for the impressive Jared Chelski against Windsor Harriers but the Harriers took the match 7-3 in an encounter where only one match was extended beyond the statutory three sets, Ferdy Rodriguez needing four to beat Jane Young.
Brotherhood G are emerging as one of the promotion favourites in Division Three and they continued their unbeaten run with a 9-1 victory over lowly Nomads Ocelots. Paul Metcalf and Mark Beckham predictably stayed unbeaten but Dominic Joannou enjoyed a shock 3-1 (11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9) win over the previously-unbeaten Graham Healey.
The Penguins took the honours in the all-Windsor clash with the Swallows, sweeping the board 10-0. Debra Found, Sue Chillingworth and Alan Charman remained undefeated but the Swallows will feel unfortunate not to have taken a point, Chillingworth just scraping past Iris Howlett 11-9 in the fifth.
Trebles from Carl Hubbard, his first of the current campaign, and Chris Simson saw Winsor Kites home 7-3 against Nomads Leopards. Dave Wright, Norman Jacobs and Roger McNaughton each won one for the Leopards.
However, the match-of-the-week in the division was at the Brotherhood Hall where the old hands of Nomads Pumas just got the better of Brotherhood J’s younger generation, the score ending 6-4. In a match where no-one stayed unbeaten but every player picked up a point, there were two each for Alan Dockerill and Andrew Cousins, and one for Lionel Godard for the Pumas whilst, for Brotherhood, Dan Still took two, and Maci Harvey and Harley Wood one each.
Andrew Cousins enjoyed an excellent 11-4 in the fifth victory over Still to end the Brotherhood player’s hundred per cent record but then went down to an inspired Harvey who took their match 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-13, 11-3, 11-9).
* In the first match in Group Two of the Division Three Handicap Challenge Nomads Lynx were 7-2 winners over Nomads Caracals. Liam Harris and Dave Harris were undefeated in their two singles and, with Doug Green, the trio won all three doubles on offer. Chris Jones and Denise Thompson took a point each for the Caracals, both defeating Green in matches which went to five.
* In the draw for the Handicap Knock-Out Cup, Cup-holders Windsor Condors have been drawn against club-mates Windsor Magpies of Division Two. There are three all-Division One ties with Windsor Eagles at home to Nomads Lions, Brotherhood D to meet Brotherhood C and, perhaps the pick of the Round, Brotherhood B to take on Walton A.
The full draw is – Round 1 (matches to be played w/c 11th December): (A) Windsor Kites v Brotherhood E; (B) Walton D v Nomads Leopards.
Round 2 (matches to be played w/c 8th January): Brotherhood I v Walton B; Windsor Swallows v Winner (B); Windsor Kestrels v Windsor Buzzards; Nomads Pumas v Walton E; Nomads Ocelots v Windsor Harriers; Brotherhood D v Brotherhood C; Brotherhood B v Walton A; Winner (A) v Brotherhood J; Nomads Tigers v Brotherhood F; Nomads Lynx v Brotherhood G; Windsor Eagles v Nomads Lions; Windsor Penguins v Brotherhood H; Lawford v Nomads Caracals; Windsor Magpies v Windsor Condors; Nomads Panthers v Nomads Jaguars; Walton C v Windsor Hawks
* Congratulations to 13-year old Daniel Young who recently represented Essex in the Cadet County Championship in matches against Middlesex and Surrey, helping his side to a win and a draw. Showing excellent form, he won three of his four matches, his only loss an 11-9 in the fifth defeat.
RESULTS
Division 1
Walton B 4 Brotherhood B 6
Windsor Kestrels 1 Walton A 9
Windsor Hawks 1 Nomads Panthers 9
Walton C 5 Windsor Eagles 5
Nomads Lions 6 Windsor Condors 4
Brotherhood D 2 Brotherhood C 8
Division 2
Lawford 6 Nomads Tigers 4
Brotherhood I 4 Brotherhood F 6
Nomads Jaguars 8 Windsor Magpies 2
Brotherhood E 2 Windsor Buzzards 8
Brotherhood H 9 Walton D 1
Windsor Harriers 7 Walton E 3
Division 3
Nomads Leopards 3 Windsor Kites 7
Nomads Ocelots 1 Brotherhood G 9
Windsor Penguins 10 Windsor Swallows 0
Brotherhood J 4 Nomads Pumas 6
Division 3 Handicap Challenge
Group 2
Nomads Lynx 7 Nomads Caracals 2