Despite the Leicester League’s attempts to secure as near a level playing fields as possible for their cup competitions by restricting entries by way of the grading system, it is still difficult to secure many entries, perhaps due to having too many events these days as they originally came along when the league had almost 20 divisions.
Even more unusual is an exciting final going to the wire. That came about this season in the final of the Saracen Cup, the second oldest of the five, for players graded below 170 when Knighton Park defeated Syston Casuals 5-4 with the match decided in the ninth set when Vishaal Sharda got home in three against Terry Hall.
For Syston Scott Morris defeated Sharda and Patrick Cox, both in five close games, an excellent performance, while Chetan Tailor supported with a brace of his own in beating Oscar Bentley as well as a pulsating 15-13 victory in the fifth against Sharda. Bentley and Cox secured two apiece for the Park while Sharda weighed in with his one to end one of the closest finals for many years.
In the Lillian Williamson Trophy for those graded below 115 Abbots Road proved too strong in depth against Winstanley Wizards when Ketan Patel won the two he played, Eiz Eddin Al Katrib two from three and Bradley Lapworth one. Ben Cooke was undefeated for the Wizards, winning his two, the match ending before the two undefeated players could contest.
The Frith Trophy for those graded below 140 was, however, completed being an in-house between two Knighton Park teams, Team A beating Team B by 5-1 and going on to take the full match 7-2 with David Mountain and Robert Geary both winning three, Chris Parmar-Saville one. Alec Downs and Paul Ducksbury scored one each for the losers.
Syston Casuals got home 5-1 against Electricity in the Corrall Cup (below 210) with both Jason Woodfield and Chandresh Sodha undefeated, Bob Whittaker picking up the other, losing to Russ Pettitt.
The open Rose Johnson Cup, the major event, was a walk in the Knighton Park for father-son combo, Chris and Jack Rogers and Reza Kiani who beat Electricity B 5-0. Harry White, Adam Pettitt and Marcin Kazprzyk discovering why the winners are near the top of division one.
Two straightforward victories in the semi-finals of the County Association’s Rose Johnson Challenge Bowl which is a four-a-side team handicap with the current holders, KP Young Ones, overcoming a 128 points deficit to beat their club mates, Park and Ride 336-299 when every game, up to 21, went their way.
Brajesh Patel led the way with a net plus 46, just ahead of plus 44 by Patrick Cox, Vishaal Sharda securing plus 39 and Zia Malik not far behind on plus 36 for an excellent team performance.
The other match between Electricity and Regent Sports started level but the Sparks proved much too hot for their opponents in racing to a 297-219 victory. All the Electricity players finished positive with Dave Cox top on 39, Bryan Moylan with 29 and then Dave Bray (8) and Graham Piggin (2).