It may be the lowest section of the Leicester & District League but Division Five is now turning out to be the most competitive of them all with no less than seven teams either at or very near the to the top and any one of those seven could still be crowned champions.
Goons II were pre-season favourites but after an excellent start lost their star player, Jim Mee, to injury. They have battled to three draws since then but finally came unstuck against Lutterworth Rotary who squeezed home 6-4 to go to the top of the chart.
Mike Eastell secured three for Lutterworth to maintain his leading position in the averages while Barry Price and Noelle Paine each supported with one, the doubles clinching it.
Eastell’s maximum included a win over Steve Harrison which broke the deadlock in the individual standings, Harrison secured two in this as did Steve Webb.
This immediately gave Regent Sports IV the favourites tag until they, in turn, lost for the first time when beaten 7-3 by the revitalised Electricity VI, for whom Dave Silvester and David Reid each emerged undefeated both in singles and doubles. Regent could still finish the first half in top position but have three tough matches still to negotiate and needing to win all three.
Winstanley Wizards II are not one of the top seven but will almost certainly have a say who eventually spearheads with a very talented young player emerging in Dan Andrews. Andrews made his league debut this season and lost one or two initially but has now found top form.
Against Abbots Road, Andrews took an excellent maximum in a 5-5 draw, Pat Evans taking two for Abbots, but it was against Lutterworth that the current potential was fully realised when Andrews beat individual leader, Eastell, 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-6) a truly magnificent performance with his opponent full of admiration.
The result was another 5-5 draw, with Kelsey Andrews and Ken Oram each supporting with one. Eastell won his other two as did Noelle Paine.
Knighton Park’s young fourth team in Division Two finished their first half with a bang in beating Arnesby II 9-1 when Rayan Kotecha recorded his first maximum at this level with three also from Jack Rogers and two by Kinar Sheth, the latter just getting the better of Dave Small 12-10 in the fifth. Dave Wagstaffe won Arnesby’s success.
This takes KP very close to the top although Electricity III went one better when thrashing Syston Casuals II 10-0 with Steve White, Harry White and Richard Martin all in top form with the former keen to relive old glories in the top sphere.
Syston Casuals’ first team will finish the first half in the lead after defeating Unicorn II 7-3 with John Szostak continuing his superb form with another undefeated return, backed by two from Jason Woodfield while Robert Whittaker grabbed one. Alex Jackson won two for the students.
In Division Four, Blaby and Whetstone II continue to rule the roost after just squeezing past Nomads IV by 6-4. This time it was Phill Hinson who led the way with an excellent maximum while individual chart-topper, Paul Hinson, had to be content with two this time. Terry Highton used his wiles to take two for the Sparks.
Oscar White scored a match-saving three and then won the doubles with Max Huggins as Knighton Park VIII fought out a 5-5 draw with Nomads III, who had good team depth supplied by Roger Burley and Laszlo Kocsis with two apiece and Steph Burley one.
Dave Greasley had a terrific victory for Electricity IV in Division Three when he beat Bruce Johnson in a 6-4 victory against Leicester Taxes, while Robert Geary was back to top form for Knighton Park VI in a 7-3 success against Nomads II, gaining a terrific maximum.