Brotherhood G took a decisive step in their quest for the Clacton & District League’s Division Three crown with a convincing 9-1 victory over title rivals Windsor Penguins.
Paul Metcalf and Mark Beckham recorded trebles whilst skipper Graham Healey contributed a couple, his only blemish a defeat at the hands of Debra Found. Just two of the individual matches went to a decider, Healey beating Sue Chillingworth 11-6 in the fifth and Beckham defeating Alan Charman by the same score.
The victory puts the Brotherhood side 10 points clear of the Penguins and, with each team having only three matches to play, the title looks to be heading to Brotherhood.
Elsewhere, Nomads Lynx were 9-1 winners over a Nomads Caracals side fielding a guest. Yasmin Tiquet’s 11-4 in the decider win for the Caracals over Cameron Cini prevented the whitewash. The result may well have significance for the end-of-season honours with third-placed Lynx now just six points behind the Penguins and well-positioned for a late charge for the runners-up position.
The only other result from the Division saw a third 9-1 scoreline, Brotherhood J defeating Windsor Kites. Maci Harvey and Dan Still took hat-tricks, and Harley Wood won twice. Jack Haylett was the Kites’ points-scorer, a close-run 3-2 (11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 10-12, 11-9) winner against Wood.
In Division One Nomads Panthers continue to dominate and now need a mere 11 points from their remaining four matches to guarantee them a sixth consecutive title.
They confirmed their superiority when they defeated second-placed Walton A 9-1. Sam Hume and James Denyer again took trebles, with the ever-reliable John Hatley contributing a couple. Walton’s only point came from the bat of Gary Young, a 3-2 (10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4) winner over Hatley in the first encounter of the evening.
The Panthers, without Hume and Denyer, followed this with an 8-2 success over Walton B. Gill Locke was their hat-trick heroine on this occasion, with Hatley and Colin Webber each winning twice. Derek Willis won the Walton B’s points but Colin Dearman will feel disappointed not to have got on the score-sheet for Walton, narrowly going down 11-8 in the decider to Hatley.
Three from Greg Green, two from Felipe Rodriguez and one from Martin Hogg saw the Condors home 7-3 in the all-Windsor clash with the Hawks. Andy Vincent took two for the Hawks whilst John Barton had a surprise 3-2 (7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 14-16, 11-4) success over Hogg.
Brotherhood C are one of five teams still in with a mathematical chance of the runners-up spot and they continued their pursuit with a convincing 10-0 victory against Nomads Lions. Oli Reynolds, Abhi Peshkar and Kevin Gowlett all stayed unbeaten. Only one match was extended to a fifth set, Peshkar beating Jason Lloyd 11-7 in the decider.
Phil Smith and John Pattrick took maximum points in Windsor Eagles’ 7-3 win over Brotherhood D. Grant Sharpe, Scott Campbell and Russell Hillier all picked up a point for Brotherhood with Campbell nearly taking a second, narrowly going down 11-9 in the fifth to Smith.
However, the three points could yet prove priceless for Brotherhood for, although they remain in the relegation places, they’re now four points clear of bottom-team Windsor Kestrels with a match in hand. The Kestrels this week failed to make up any ground, losing 8-2 to Brotherhood B. John Andrews, a late-season signing for injury-hit Brotherhood, made a first Clacton League appearance for two years and stayed undefeated. Gracie Edwards and John Owen each won two but both suffered narrow defeats, Dave Martin beating Owen 11-5 in the fifth and John Harvey beating Edwards 11-8 in the fifth.
In Division Two Brotherhood I fielded a reserve against a Walton E side minus Jared Chelski and so it was no surprise the match ended all-square. There was a maximum for Walton’s Daniel Young, and one each for Maggie Earle and Jane Young, whilst Graham Parkes and Paul Alden both won two for Brotherhood. The only match which went the distance saw Young defeat Alden 11-8 in the decider.
Woody Fitzpatrick confirmed his growing stature at this level with a hat-trick in Brotherhood H’s 7-3 success over Windsor Buzzards. Mark Salter won a couple and Tricia Salter one. For the Buzzards, Ray Chillingworth won two and Dan Malinowski one, both players beating Tricia Salter by an identical 11-6 in the fifth score-line.
In their second match of the week, the Buzzards emerged 8-2 winners against club-mates Windsor Magpies. Chillingworth and Pete Bloomfield both stayed unbeaten with Alan Rutledge winning twice. Kayley Rodriguez had a close 3-2 (8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8) victory over Rutledge whilst, with John Plummer, notched up a 3-2 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7) doubles’ success against Chillingworth and Rutledge.
The Magpies suffered a second 8-2 defeat, this at the hands of another Windsor side, the Harriers. Isabel Barton and Ferdy Rodriguez took trebles for the winners. Plummer and Dave Sweetland took a point apiece for the Magpies, Sweetland unfortunate to lose out 11-6 in the fifth to Barton and 11-8 in the fifth to Rodriguez.
Walton D took the first two matches of the evening against Nomads Jaguars, John Long beating Kevin Hume and John Bonner defeating Caroline North. But that was as good as it got for the bottom-placed team, the Jaguars taking the remaining matches to win 8-2. Andy Cawley won his three singles for the Jaguars although it was a close 11-7 in the decider against Bonner, the same score by which North defeated Long.
* In Group 1 of the Division Three Handicap Challenge, Nomads Leopards were 7-2 winners over Nomads Ocelots. Dave Wright stayed unbeaten in his four matches, Stuart Wilkinson won two singles and one doubles, whilst there was a singles and double success for Norman Jacobs. Both teams thus end their programme in this competition having won two and lost two, meaning neither qualifies as Group winner for the play-off final.
* There will be 67 players competing in this year’s Closed Championships, sponsored once again by Paul Newbould Planning and Building Design Services. The Tournament takes place at the Coastal Academy Sports Hall on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th April. All players will receive further details, including starting times, by 7th April.
RESULTS
Division 1
Walton A 1 Nomads Panthers 9
Walton B 2 Nomads Panthers 8
Windsor Hawks 3 Windsor Condors 7
Brotherhood D 3 Windsor Eagles 7
Nomads Lions 0 Brotherhood C 10
Windsor Kestrels 2 Brotherhood B 8
Division 2
Brotherhood I 5 Walton E 5
Windsor Buzzards 8 Windsor Magpies 2
Brotherhood H 7 Windsor Buzzards 3
Nomads Jaguars 8 Walton D 2
Windsor Harriers 8 Windsor Magpies 2
Division 3
Windsor Penguins 1 Brotherhood G 9
Nomads Lynx 9 Nomads Caracals 1
Brotherhood J 9 Windsor Kites 1
DIVISION 3 HANDICAP CHALLENGE
Group 1
Nomads Ocelots 2 Nomads Leopards 7
Tables
Group 1
| P | W | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Brotherhood G | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 6 |
| Leopards | 4 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 15 | 4 |
| Ocelots | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 23 | 4 |
| Pumas | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 2 |
| Swallows | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 2 |
Group 2
| P | W | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Lynx | 4 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 11 | 6 |
| Penguins | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 11 | 4 |
| Brotherhood J | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 4 |
| Kites | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 20 | 2 |
| Caracals | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 2 |