Division Two of the Leicester & District League took a dramatic twist this week in the battle for promotion when Desford Village first team, second to Knighton Park III who have at the moment a relatively soft cushion at the top, were clobbered by their own second team to drop them down to third in the chart.
Because of that result Knighton Park increased their lead with a comfortable 7-3 victory over a two-man Regent Sports who had Martin Bolton winning two and combining with Kevin Sanderson to take the doubles for a point. No-one could get the better of Brajesh Patel while Oscar Bentley and Patrick Cox each won two for the Park.
Having gained promotion from division three last season Winstanley Wizards have just got better and better as the season progresses with Dan Andrews in particular in tremendous form while Himansu Mishara has not been far behind. These two both emerged undefeated against Arnesby II in a 7-3 victory which took them to second position, Dave Seeds notching one. Dave Wagstaff and Bruce Johnson each won one for Arnesby.
Which brings us to the Desford Village Derby when Jessica Birbeck took a splendid maximum for the first team while Malcolm Truman won one in support and lost the other two both in five games. Desford’s second team proved deeper in depth with Matthew Briggs and Kevin Parker two apiece and the all- important doubles, while Paul Bumpus weighed in with his vital singles success.
KP are two points ahead but with two matches in hand, although still need to keep winning just to be sure, while it is an all-out head-to-head battle between Desford and Winstanley for that second promotion spot when at the moment even those, so called, consolation points look vital.
This division is just as dramatic at the bottom where Great Glen were all but relegated a month ago but this week notched their third victory in a row when beating Knighton Park IV 6-4 including Alex Mason scoring a tremendous victory over Osman Bawa who is top of the averages. Kevin Trueman supported really well with two of his own. For KP, Bawa won two, Rod Pickering and Shirley Pickering one apiece with the latter’s three sets all needing a fifth game.
This leaves Blaby and Whestone, who had no match this week, at the bottom while the other relegation candidates, Syston Casuals II, drew with Electricity III when Chetan Tailor collected a solid maximum.
Goons II and Unicorn IV continue to battle for top spot in Division Four, and both won their latest match 7-3 in similar style.
Goons defeated Knighton Park VII by way of three from Gary Pitts, two each from Steve Harrison and Kevin Edwards. Abe Lam and Paul Ducksbury one each and the doubles for a point. Terry Highton and Dave West did exactly the same for Nomads III – one each and the doubles – when they lost 7-3 to Unicorn who had Eric Baker and John Brindley scoring three apiece, David Green one.
Two 6-4 victories included Abbots Road IV defeating Electricity VI when Ketan Patel spearheaded with an excellent maximum while Dave Silvester was the Sparks’ most successful player with two. Chris Weston led the way for Nomads II in their 6-4 success over Syston Casuals while Terry Wale won two and Steph Burley one. Two for Syston’s Nick Bishop.
Holwell Works II, runaway leaders of Division Three, unluckily lost their first match when Dave Sharp injured himself winning his first and could not continue, Holwell going down 6-4 to Abbots Road despite three from individual leader, Mike James.
Apart from Holwell this whole division is remarkably close all the way down with the other promotion place now a race between three after Syston Casuals III had beaten Electricity V – two of the three – 6-4 when Chetan Tailor and Scott Morris both came away with brilliant unblemished records.
The third team in that very tight cluster is Fleckney, promoted up from five last season, who defeated Regent Sports 7-3 when Jason Prescott and Pete Jamieson each scored maximums.
At the bottom a relegation clash between two Knighton Park teams saw their sixth beat the fifth 6-4 largely due to a workman like maximum from the ever improving David Mountain, supported well by a Steve Adams brace and one from Chris Parmer-Saville.
Blaby and Whetstone II continue to rule the roost in Division Five in no uncertain manner, notching up their eleventh 10-0 victory of the campaign against the luckless Nomads IV when Alan Willson, Tom Phipps and Jack Angrave took all ten sets in three games to underline their superiority.
Winstanley Wizards III and Knighton Park VIII are neck and neck for second but neither had a match, while Fleckney II are a distant fourth after beating Desford Village IV 8-2, Rob Bateman three, Mike Miles and Karen Holyoak two each. But they are probably just too far off the pace to catch up.
Nothing startling in Division One where a quick round up sees Unicorn beating Thringstone 7-3 and almost certainly retaining their title. Garry Knights and Yiji Zhao three apiece.
A very good brace from Abbots Road’s Geoff Hancock in an 8-2 defeat at the hands of Knighton Park II, beating both Richard Hayes and James Berry, while Karen Smith held firm. Unicorn II underlined their second position with a competent 8-2 victory over Electricity II.