Windsor Kestrels and Brotherhood H were involved in the hardest-fought clash of the week in Division Two of the Clacton & District League with the two teams eventually – and fittingly – sharing the spoils.
Five of the individual matches went the distance but the Kestrels were indebted to an unbeaten performance from Colin Beaumont to keep them in the match, his well-earned treble including 11-6 in the decider wins over both Tricia Salter and Woody Fitzpatrick.
Graham Bunce and Bob Sawyer contributed one each for the Kestrels, although Sawyer’s win was a narrow 13-11 in the fifth success against Fitzpatrick. Mark Salter’s two for Brotherhood included a tight 16-14 in the decider victory over Bunce. Brotherhood also took the doubles, Fitzpatrick and Mark Salter narrowly beating Beaumont and Sawyer 14-12 in the fifth.
Brotherhood I took three of the four matches which went to five to defeat Nomads Bobcats 6-4. Paul Alden took his maximum, while Liam Harris’ two for the Bobcats included a 3-2 (15-17, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 13-11) success against Graham Parkes.
Walton E turned out their top three players – Mark Gale, Mark Ratcliffe and Gary Stallwood – against Nomads Jaguars and demonstrated what a force they could be if they played regularly as a threesome, winning 10-0 with only four matches stretched to a fourth set.
Lee Allen notched up another hat-trick, and another good scalp in the form of an 11-8 in the decider win over Dave Martin, as Brotherhood F beat Windsor Magpies 8-2. Barry Allen and Shaun Beckham won two each for Brotherhood, with Martin picking up both Magpies’ points.
A weakened Windsor Harriers were narrow 6-4 victors against Brotherhood G. Windsor skipper Ferdy Rodriguez was involved in both matches which went to five, beating Mark Beckham 11-5 in the decider but going down 11-8 in the decider to Paul Metcalf. For Brotherhood, there were a couple for Metcalf, and one each for Beckham and John Gallagher.
In Division Three Nomads Lynx were forced to field a guest but were still too good for Nomads Pumas, Mike Vilka and Dominic Joannou unbeaten in their 7-3 victory. Vilka’s 3-2 (9-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3) win over Lionel Goddard was the closest encounter of the evening.
John Long recorded a hat-trick as Walton D defeated Windsor Falcons 8-2, his three including a 3-2 (12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8) success over Kayley Rodriguez. Tony Sharman and Toni Hayhow-Khan contributed a couple each for the winners, as did Rodriguez for the losers.
Brotherhood E were predictable 10-0 winners over Windsor Merlins although Windsor’s Bradley Henshaw so nearly caused an upset, Cris Edwards just winning their duel in five (11-5, 3-11, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10).
There was another 10-0 result in an all-Nomads clash as Stuart Wilkinson, Dave Wright and Bob Jillins of the Leopards proved too good for the Ocelots.
The big match in Division One saw Windsor Condors beat Walton A 7-3. Colin Stallwood won three and Greg Green two, whilst Martin Hogg had an 11-7 in the fifth victory over Kevin James. Daniel Young with two and Gavin Price with one were Walton’s points scorers.
Three for Andy Vincent, two for Roger Hance and one for Felipe Rodriguez guided Windsor Hawks to a 7-3 win over Nomads Tigers. For the Tigers, Pawel Szemro won two and Phil Wolski one, with Daryl Lott left pointless – but only just – narrowly going down 11-8 in the fifth to Rodriguez.
In a match played the previous week, the Tigers also suffered defeat at the hands of Brotherhood D, losing 6-4. Grant Sharpe was the Brotherhood hero, taking an excellent maximum.
Brotherhood D were also in action against Brotherhood C but trebles from Kevin Gowlett and Andy Warner, and a double from Kevin Pryor, saw the ‘C’ team home 9-1. Pryor had a narrow 11-9 in the decider win over Sharpe whilst Scott Campbell got the ‘D’ side’s solitary point.
A completely different threesome turned out for Brotherhood C’s second match against Nomads Lions and the result turned out to be much closer, the tie ending all-square. There were a couple each for Martin Edwards and Alan Burgess but Nomads’ Ethan Lloyd turned out to be the star of the show, his hat-trick including an excellent 12-10 in the fifth win over Edwards. Jason Lloyd and Adam Wilkin took one each for the Lions, Wilkin beating Brotherhood reserve John Owen 11-5 in the decider.
Windsor Eagles got their season into gear with an impressive 10-0 success against Walton C, Gary Cattermole, Phil Smith and Sue Welham all undefeated. Welham was involved in the two matches which went the distance, beating Ant Beckles 11-4 in the fifth and Graham Buxton 11-8 in the fifth.
Finally, Colin Dearman, Jason Gale and Derek Willis all remained unbeaten as Walton B beat Lawford 10-0.
RESULTS
Division 1
Walton A 3 Windsor Condors 7
Nomads Tigers 4 Brotherhood D 6
Windsor Hawks 7 Nomads Tigers 3
Brotherhood C 9 Brotherhood D 1
Nomads Lions 5 Brotherhood C 5
Walton B 10 Lawford 0
Windsor Eagles 10 Walton C 0
Division 2
Brotherhood H 5 Windsor Kestrels 5
Brotherhood I 6 Nomads Bobcats 4
Windsor Magpies 2 Brotherhood F 8
Nomads Jaguars 0 Walton E 10
Windsor Harriers 6 Brotherhood G 4
Division 3
Nomads Pumas 3 Nomads Lynx 7
Walton D 8 Windsor Falcons 2
Nomads Leopards 10 Nomads Ocelots 0
Windsor Merlins 0 Brotherhood E 10