Unicorn, leaders in Division One of the Leicester and District League, have had a busy time with a match brought forward in which they lost for the first time this season when Ajax Wolvey beat them 6-4 with an excellent team effort, Mick Allsopp, John Fuller and Aidan Walsh all winning two. For Unicorn, admittedly not fielding their strongest team, Trevor Kerry won two and Tim Sheppard one with the pivotal set coming when Walsh beat Kerry 3-2 (11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10).
Unicorn were back on the winning trail against Knighton Park II to pretty well safeguard their title, taking the match 9-1 with Jared Patel and Cavan Foo recording maximums, two for Peter Claxton. Reza Kiani saved the whitewash with his one and came so close to taking away Patel’s unbeaten record as he was 10-9 up in the fifth before going down on deuce.
Ajax won their other match 8-2 against Holwell Works, maximums for Aidan Walsh and Jon Williams plus two for Mick Allsopp. Tony Fox won Holwell’s only singles and then teamed up with evergreen Rod Pickering to take the doubles.
Andy LeButt and David Grundy both emerged undefeated for Electricity when they beat Desford Village 7-3, while Steve White won one, losing both his other two against Richard Hayes and Kieron Kennedy in five.
Chris Rogers was in majestic form for Knighton Park firsts against Arnesby to win a very crisp three-straight maximum and he retains the official top of the individual average status with 93 per cent, bearing in mind there are two Unicorn players unbeaten but having not played enough. Rogers was supported by two wins apiece for Karen Smith and Les Baker with Smith losing a terrific tussle against Darren Bramhall who won 3-2 (4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 6-11, 16-14).
The long awaited clash between two of the league’s titans did not materialise when Abbots Road turned up with only two players against Thringstone, for whom Maurice Newman won the two he played, but missed out on another meeting with Dave Gannon. Omar Ahmed won two for Abbots in Thringstone’s 7-3 success with Abbots also pulling out of the doubles.
Bottom team, Knighton Park III, visited fellow strugglers, Syston Casuals, and came away with a very creditable 6-4 victory when Aman Rashid and Peter Wilson, the latter playing up, both won two supported by one from Zack Moss and then the first two named combined to take the doubles. For Syston Jason Woodfield and John Szostak both took a couple. It now looks as though Syston could well join KP thirds for the drop.
Eddie Lyons was beaten for the first time in Division Two when Alex Mason won three for Great Glen, but the overall strength in depth of Knighton Park V saw them home 6-4 with Lyons winning two as did Richard Martin playing up a division, while Dean Jordan supplied the other.
Arnesby II were sure fire promotion candidates from Division Three but have slipped up a little of late not helped by turning up one short against Electricity IV who, themselves, only had two players giving the very unusual final score of 5-4 to the Sparks whose Harry White came through as the only player to win his legitimate two in the match.
Unicorn II cannot be caught in this division and are mirroring their first team in the top sphere having demolished Regent Sports II, not normally an easy team to defeat, 10-0 with Shane Gales, David Green and John Loan-Clarke all in tip-top form.
Two very good maximums in Division Five included one from Dave Rana who was unbeaten against Desford Village in a 5-5 draw. Another fine maximum in a 5-5 draw came from junior, Jack Kermode, who was in superb form for Winstanley Wizards, who are second, against chart leaders, Knighton Park XI. KP maintained the gap with the share of points thanks to two each from Aga Hirt and Paul Ducksbury who also combined for a crucial doubles success.
John Bowness (publicity officer)
March 16, 2015