Park Rangers and Bishops – Knighton Park and Abbots Road respectively – have both just about sewn up their places in the semi-finals of the Leicester League’s summer competition for the Elbow Tankard with their latest successes in Group A.

Rangers beat club-mates, KP4 England 14-6 when Dan Pearson and Oscar White both secured four from six while Max Huggins won two but also featured in a 4-0 clean sweep of the doubles. The losers’ most successful player was Chris Parmar-Saville who won three from six.

Meanwhile, Bishops were finding Blaby and Whetstone something of a handful despite good returns by Raju Rahul, who won five, and Geoff Hancock with four. Two from four by Chetan Tailor sealed the match but not before Phill Hinson had won three of his six which could have been a much better return with a little more good fortune. Jack Angrave won two and Paul Hinson one for B & W.

The return match between the two found Bishops fielding the same three players while Tom Phipps took the place of Phill Hinson for B & W. This time Hancock scored a full house six, giving lots a points away and coming home very closely in most of them.  Rahul and Tailor both won three in the 14-6 win. Phipps won two supported by two from Angrave, with the doubles shared.

In Group B, Nomads beat KP Dry Roasted 16-4 thanks to five from six by both Andy Searle and Laszlo Koksis but it was a brilliant match for Trevor Hawkins, who won all four of his singles as well as having a hand in sharing the doubles. For KP, Nikki Farrall won two.

Also in this group Park Keepers, now sure of a semi-final place, defeated Vicars 15-5 when Tracey Smith picked up five from six while Ben Stone maintained his excellent form with four from four.

John Bowness (publicity officer)