Division Three of the Leicester & District League has provided possibly the most exciting tussles both at the top for runners-up and the one relegation spot at the other end.
Nomads ran away with the title with an impressive 72 points, the next highest being 58. Nomads made a habit over their final three matches of losing the first two sets and then winning the remainder, something they did to finish off against Knighton Park VII.
Martin Pember beat Cliff Smith before Chris Parmar-Saville got the better of Andy Searle. As ever Zaheer Mohamad entered the fray, going on to gain another maximum, although one game against Parmar-Saville stacked up at 18-16 while Mohammad struggled to defeat Dan Pearson, playing up, in five games. Eventually, Nomads won 8-2.
The other promotion spot proved dramatic. Electricity IV needed to beat Leicester Taxes in their final match by 7-3 to make sure but suffered a big setback when Sheriff Makhani slipped and broke a wrist playing against Bruce Johnson in their first set. Johnson went on to win three and Taxes won 7-3, the wrong way round for the Sparks, despite two from Chris Woodward and one from Dave Greasley. The three conceded sets proved pivotal.
Great Glen took advantage of this by moving into second place with a 6-4 victory over Goons when Alex Mason scored a customary maximum and Kevin Trueman a very useful couple. Barry Robinson won two for Goons.
This situation did not last long – it had left Abbots Road II needing just a draw against Knighton Park VI, not helped by Abbots having to bring a player up from Division Five. Bhulesh Rathod and Chetan Tailor duly obliged with two each and the doubles, neither able to overcome a John Bowness maxi, but promotion it is with the 5-5 result.
The two leading teams in Division Four both finished with 8-2 successes including a win for Knighton Park VIII against Abbots Road IV to confirm the title. Three each for Oscar White and Max Huggins and one for Adam Green.
Meanwhile Blaby and Whetstone II had the same scoreline against Winstanley Wizards when siblings, Paul and Phill Hinson, each emerged undefeated with one from Jack Angrave, leaving the Wizards in a precarious position.
Knighton Park IX got out of jail by beating the Wizards 8-2 to avoid the drop which looked inevitable a month ago when Mike Smith won three, Paul Ducksbury and Rafe Walton two each.
Regent Sports III who have suffered four successive heavy defeats, now have to beat a rejuvenated Park ninth in their final fixture to move ahead of the Wizards off the bottom rung.
If Regent did go down they would be immediately replaced by their own fourth team from Division Five after they overcame a fine maximum by Electricity VI’s Jason Prescott when Stu Jones, Keith Bramhall and James Smith won the rest including the doubles to take the match 7-3, now one point ahead of Lutterworth Rotary, albeit Regent have one match remaining so would have had another chance.
Lutterworth will also move up a division and have another consolation in that Mike Eastell has retained the division’s individual title.