AVON CLINCH COUNTY TITLE

Senior 2B

Avon gained promotion to Division 1 next season as they took control of this season’s Division 1b winning four matches and drawing one in a six-team division.

The bulk of the matches were scheduled to be played in Plymouth over one weekend but each team in the division were going to play a one of match against a neighbouring county so they all had four matches over just one weekend.

First up was the match between Hampshire and Dorset at Waterside TTC which saw Hampshire record a 7-3 win before one week later Wiltshire faced Avon at John O’Gaunts School, Trowbridge where both sides fought out a thrilling draw.

Marcin Jaskolski and Andrew Hodges won their two singles matches for Wiltshire with Thomas Jeffcott also picking up a win while Avon had the strength in the ladies as both Michelle Reeves and Emily Standing won twice before Andy Smith picked up one vital win to ensure the honours were even.

Unfortunately no result was received from the match-up between the second teams of Cornwall and Devon as the weekend at Plymouth commenced with each county scheduled to play their remaining four matches.

Ironically the first meeting was the two unbeaten sides from their earlier matches and this resulted in Avon easing to an 8-2 win against Hampshire with Avon’s one change (Christophe Zickert for Chris Edwards) helping with a maximum.

The Avon ladies caught the eye again as Reeves and Standing recording great results in the 8-2 win which set a marker down for the remainder of the division.

The remainder of the first round ties saw Cornwall No 2 beat Dorset 10-0 and Devon No 2 beat Wiltshire 6-4.

Avon were not tested against Dorset in their second fixture and completed a whitewash 10-0 victory but their other two matches were far from easy and required a fine team effort in both matches as they beat both Cornwall Seconds and Devon Seconds by the narrowest of margins.

The clash between Avon and Cornwall went down to the last set as Zickert won both his singles and was well supported by Reeves and Standing who each chipped in with one set each but it was the incoming Rajan Waterman who stole the show.

He won both his singles including a match-winning five-game win in the final set against Adrian Knott 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6) to complete victory.

The title-winning victory was against Devon Seconds and it was a triumph for the men in the team as Zickert, Reeves and Waterman all recorded two wins and once again it was Waterman who completed the victory with a final set 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-9) win over Harry Cutler to take the match and the title.

Avon completed their campaign on nine points, three points clear of both Cornwall and Devon seconds who as previously mentioned still have to complete their match and are now playing for the runners-up spot.

Barry Snowden
County Championship Press Officer
(April 15, 2014)