Promoted Barrow have come out on top of the most eagerly anticipated British League match for many years. Played in front of a large audience at the London Progress Club in Southall Barrow cheered on by their own band of travelling supporters won a top class match 5-3. England no. one Paul Drinkhall won his two singles in style beating Gareth Herbert (11-7, 11-6, 11-7) and Ryan Jenkins (11-9, 11-2, 11-9) as Barrow won games four, five, six and seven.
England no. six Darius Knight also won twice and although he didn’t display quite the same panache as Drinkhall he battled hard to beat the stylish Craig Howieson (11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11) and the still fluent and silky smooth Gareth Herbert (11-7, 12-10,4-11, 13-11). Knight’s victory over Herbert was the crucial one and it gave Barrow an unassailable 5-2 lead.
Ryan Jenkins repeated his Liverpool Grand Prix win over Scottish no. one Gavin Rumgay with a convincing 11-13, 11- 4, 11-4, 11-3 victory. Drumchapel’s Terry Young had given his side a 2-1 lead pulling out all the stops to get the better of newcomer Sebastian Laux 8-11. 8- 11, 11-6, 11-9,11-9 when all had looked lost.
A new look Ormesby did well to beat Westfield 6-2, not least because they trailed 2-1 after the opening encounters. Ormesby’s new signing Zak Zilesnick (who believe it or not was signed on the day of the match -no kidding !) won twice and he received excellent support from another new signing former DHS London Progress player and Irish international John Murphy.
Both players will be pleased with their efforts with Zak getting the better of perennial rival Lewis Gray (8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7) as well as Shaun Marples (10-12, 11- 8, 11-8, 11-8). John looked particularly sharp seeing off Shaun Marples (12-10, 12-10, 11-2) and Richard Andrews (11-8, 11-6, 11-8).Richard Andrews had made his mark with an excellent opening game victory over Michael Marsden (11-5, 11- 6, 11-8).
DHS Greenhouse Progress will be pleased with their 6-2 success against Sycamore. The score flattered them slightly as they won all three five-enders. Jason Sugrue completed his double by getting the better of Omkar Torgalkar 11- 8, 11-1, 9-11, 9-11, 13-11 and 2009 National Junior champion Daniel Basterfield made it two wins out of two with an excellent 12-10, 9-11, 19-17, 5-11, 11-7 success against Sam Perry. The composed Basterfield had been pushed equally hard in his first singles. He just prevailed against Jason Ramage : 11-9, 12- 14, 11-3, 9-11, 14-12. Ramage who had played in Division Five North last week came perilously close to becoming the first player to win games in the Premier and the League’s lowest Division in the same Season.
Another new look team – Fusion impressed greatly in beating BATTS 7-1. Adelele Kaseem Adisa (a new name to most of us) looks an excellent acquisition and he picked up two wins. After giving little away against Martin Kubrt (11-6, 11-5, 11-6) he upped the ante considerably with a 11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10 victory over Craig Bryant. BATTS no. one
Wang Zheng had a match he will want to forget. Nothing came off for him as he failed to get going against either Lorestas Trumpauskas (5-11, 8-11, 6-11) or Sule Olaleye (4-11, 8-11, 1-11).
Full results were as follows
| Drumchapel Glasgows 3 Barrow 5 | ||
| Ryan Jenkins beat Gavin Rumgay | 11-13, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 | 1-0 |
| Gareth Herbert lost to Paul Drinkhall | 7-11, 6-11, 7-11 | 1-1 |
| Terry Young beat Sebastian Laux | 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 | 2-1 |
| Craig Howieson lost to Darius Knight | 8-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-13 | 2-2 |
| Ryan Jenkins lost to Paul Drinkhall | 9-11, 2-11, 9-11 | 2-3 |
| Terry Young lost to Gavin Rumgay | 11-5, 5-11, 8-11, 8-11 | 2-4 |
| Gareth Herbert lost to Darius Knight | 7-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-13 | 2-5 |
| Craig Howieson beat Sebastian Laux | 11-9, 11-6, 12-14, 9-11, 13-11 | 2-6 |
| Westfield 2 Ormesby 6 | ||
| Richard Andrews beat Michael Marsden | 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 | 1-0 |
| Shuan Marples lost to John Murphy | 10-12, 10-12, 2-11 | 1-1 |
| Alim Hiirji beat Nigel Eckersley | 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 | 2-1 |
| Lewis Gray lost to Zak Zilesnick | 11-8, 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11 | 2-2 |
| Richard Andrews lost to John Murphy | 8-11, 6-11, 8-11 | 2-3 |
| Alim Hirji lost to Michael Marsden | 9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 3-11 | 2-4 |
| Shaun Marples lost to Zak Zilesnick | 12-10, 8-11, 8-11, 8-11 | 2-5 |
| Lewis Gray lost to Nigel Eckersley | 6-11, 6-11, 9-11 | 2-6 |
| DHS Greeenhouse Progress 6 Sycamore 2 | ||
| Jason Sugrue beat Sam Perry | 12-10, 11-3, 11-7 | 1-0 |
| Ashley Willetts lost to Omkar Torgalkar | 9-11, 6-11, 8-11 | 1-1 |
| Daniel Basterfield beat Jason Ramage | 11-9, 12-14, 11-3, 9-11, 14-12 | 2-1 |
| Igor Morais lost to Daniel Lowe | 10-12, 11-9, 3-11, 4-11 | 2-2 |
| Jason Sugrue beat Omkar Torgalkar | 11-8, 11-1, 9-11, 9-11, 13-11 | 3-2 |
| Daniel Basterfield beat Sam Perry | 12-10, 9-11, 19-17, 5-11, 11-7 | 4-2 |
| Ashley Willetts beat Daniel Lowe | 11-3, 11-6, 11-9 | 5-2 |
| Igor Morais beat Jason Ramage | 8-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-8 | 6-2 |
| BATTS 1 Fusion 7 | ||
| Wang Zheng lost to Lorestas Trumpauskas | 5-11, 8-11, 6-11 | 0-1 |
| Craig Bryant lost to Sule Olaleye | 13-11, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 10-12 | 0-2 |
| Thomas Bennborn beat Tom Cutler | 11-7, 11-2, 11-1 | 1-2 |
| Martin Kubrt lost to Adelele Kaseem Adisa | 6-11, 5-11, 6-11 | 1-3 |
| Wang Zheng lost to Sule Olaleye | 4-11, 8-11, 1-11 | 1-4 |
| Thomas Bennborn lost to Lorestas Trumpauskas | 14-12, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 4-11 | 1-5 |
| Craig Bryant lost to Adele Kassem Adisa | 6-11, 4-11, 11-7 10-12 | 1-6 |
| Martin Kubrt lost to Tom Cutler | 7-11, 7-11, 8-11 | 1-7 |
Steve Kerns British League Press Officer
Picture – Paul Drinkhall – it’s a long time since a England No 1 has been seen playing in the British League
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