One of the most significant days in the British League calendar takes place today as the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff hosts the third weekend of Premier British League.
Traditionally, the third weekend proves to be one of the most significant. Despite only one day’s worth of action, the fate of most teams seems evident heading into the final round of fixtures.
Sycamore holds a two-point lead at the top of the league, although they have been dealt an early blow following the withdrawal of David McBeath, meaning Sycamore will now have only three players.
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END OF ROUND 1
The top two teams both dropped points in a staggering start to the third weekend of Premier British League.
League leaders Sycamore maintained their two-point lead despite drawing 4-4 with BATTS. If anything, a draw was a noble effort from a Sycamore perspective following a back injury to David McBeath in the warm-up which ruled him out of action.
It only got worse for Sycamore as Adam Nutland extended their lead to 3-0 with victory over Petko Gabrovski, although Chris Doran pulled one back after a straight games triumph over Jack Bennett. BATTS’ lead was cut down to one when Viktor Gorman eased past Jimmy Walsh. before the significant set of the match took place.
After years of waiting, Adam Nutland FINALLY got his victory over Chris Doran, defeating his old foe 3-0 to secure BATTS, at least, a point.
But Sycamore showed the grit of champions, fighting back to salvage a point with Gabrovski defeating Luke Walsh 3-0 before Gorman overcame Bennett.
Sycamore’s setback gave Drumchapel the opportunity to narrow the distance between themselves and the league leaders, however, they failed to do after staggeringly drawing with the division’s bottom side Kingfisher.
Kingfisher had failed to register a single point heading into the weekend, so the prospect of them taking a point of Drumchapel would have been preposterous beforehand, especially considering the fact Drumchapel boasted He Zhi When, the former world number 10, in their ranks.
So when Drumchapel went 2-0 up after victories for When and Chris Wheeler over Niall Cameron and Tom Maynard respectively, everything appeared to be going to plan.
But what happened next wasn’t in the script. Victor Guang Shi was forced to change bats after referee Steve Smith deemed his bat illegal, and while he gave a good account of himself, he still went down 3-2 to Marcus Giles.
Although Liam McTiernan’s victory over Yasser Razouk levelled the match, Drumchapel regained their two-set lead after When and Shi defeated Maynard and Cameron, restoring order it would seem.
How wrong we were, Kingfisher amazingly fought back again, taking the final two sets, first through McTiernan as he superbly overcame Wheeler despite a 2-0 deficit before Giles completed the fightback with victory over Razouk.
Third-placed Ormesby made no mistake as they stormed to victory over Fusion.
Despite Fusion taking a 1-0 lead following Mike O’Driscoll’s impressive 3-1 victory over Gavin Evans, Ormesby responded by taking seven unanswered sets, with Darius Knight, Tom Jarvis and Danny Lawrence all winning two apiece, although the latter went to deuce in the fifth with both Emran Hussain and David Okoh.
Finally, home side Cardiff fell to defeat in front of their own supporters after being edged out by London Academy 5-3. Two wins apiece for Ryota Kawai and Dexter St Louis were the catalyst to London Academy’s victory, with Gabriel Achampong’s win over Paddy Thomas sealing a crucial win.
END OF ROUND TWO REPORT
Drumchapel’s title aspirations were left in tatters following a 5-3 defeat to Cardiff. The home side, with a vocal backing from their supporters, clinched a massive victory in their fight for survival largely thanks to club member Daniel O’Connell picking up two victories over Yaser Razouk & Chris Wheeler.
Amazingly, Drumchapel took the lead on three separate occasions, with world number 88 He Zhi When winning both of his matches 3-0 against Craig Bryant and Gustan Ericson while Victor Shi defeated Paddy Thomas.
However, victories for Ericson, O’Connell and Bryant over Chris Wheeler, Razouk and Shi levelled the contest before O’Connell put in a superb performance to defeat Wheeler 3-0.
From there, Thomas was given the opportunity to seal victory in front of his peers, and he duly obliged with a 3-0 win over Razouk.
That defeat leaves Drumchapel four points behind leaders Sycamore after they defeated Kingfisher 5-3.
With only three players, Sycamore could afford few slip-ups, however they suffered an early blow as Tom Maynard defeated Petko Gabrovski to give the league’s bottom side a 3-0 advantage. But from there Sycamore were in control.
Chris Doran got the ball rolling with victory over Niall Cameron before Viktor Gorman pulled another back after defeating Marcus Giles.
Doran levelled the contest following his win over Maynard before Gabrovski put Sycamore ahead with victory over McTiernan.
Gorman then sealed the match, putting in an impressive display to defeat Niall Cameron 3-0 and maintain Sycamore’s two-point lead over Ormesby at the top.
As for Ormesby, they recorded their second win of the day with a 6-2 win over London Academy.
Despite an exceptional double from Ryota Kawai, defeating Ormesby’s deadly duo in Darius Knight and Gavin Evans, youngsters Danny Lawrence and Tom Jarvis churned out doubles while Evans and Knight won their remaining games.
After Kawai beat Evans 3-1, Ormesby claimed the next three sets to give themselves a commanding lead. And although Kawai defeated Knight in the fifth, Evans moved Ormesby 4-2 up with victory over Achampong before the young duo of Jarvis and Lawrence secured victory with 3-1 triumphs over Dexter St Louis and Steve Beerling respectively.
London Academy are now level on points with Cardiff, who occupy the final relegation spot going into the final weekend.
Finally, Fusion remain fifth after their 5-3 win over fourth-placed BATTS. BATTS surrendered a 2-0 lead before falling to defeat, with Emran Hussain and David Okoh both winning both of their matches for Fusion.
Jack Bennett and Adam Nutland put BATTS 2-0 ahead after wins over Mike O’Driscoll and Kazeem Adeleke, although that lead diminished after Hussain and Okoh overcame Jimmy and Luke Walsh.
Nutland defeated O’Driscoll to regain the lead for BATTS, but Fusion rallied to take the next three sets and win the match.
All the results can be seen here.