The Desford Village second team in Division Two of the Leicester League has thus far made this level its own this season with a great team effort, especially in the most recent two matches. They are currently on 100 per cent at the top and two and a half victories ahead of any of their nearest rivals queuing up behind. In other words, they could lose two in a row and still be top.
Against Syston Casuals II it was a night to remember with Syston battling all the way. Terry Hall won two for Syston while Mike James took one and both players had all three of their singles needing a fifth game.
Out of it, however, emerged Desford with a 6-4 success when Kevin Parker and Matthew Briggs both won two backed by a vital one from Thomas Hayes. Parker and Briggs captured the all-important doubles in three to claim full points.
Parker again won two, this time against Regent Sports, in another dogged 6-4 victory, with Neil Matthams coming into the fray with two of his own. Once again Hayes was on hand to score that vital singles to give his team the edge at 5-4 coming into the doubles when Desford were up to the task with Matthams and Parker winning after five gruelling games. Two very solid team victories for Desford to give them a deserved gap at the top.
Nearest team to Desford are Electricity II, who edged a good match 6-4 against Knighton Park V thanks to an excellent maximum from Andy Wright, including a five-game win over Dean Jordan, while Sam Radenhurst won two. In many ways the star of the match was young Richard Martin who was playing up from a lower team for Park, and he managed two very good scalps.
While Electricity’s second team vie for a top position their third team, promoted last season, are also performing very well and certainly holding their own, especially Tomas Oravec who topped the Division Three averages last term and is at 73 per cent this time and is still improving.
Oravec won all three against Great Glen II backed well by Chris Woodward and Sheriff Makhani, who won two apiece. For Glen, Kevin Trueman eventually wore down two opponents to prevent any thoughts of a full house.
Dave Gannon ploughed a lone furrow for Abbots Road in Division One against Knighton Park firsts, including a fine victory in five games against Chris Rogers. But Rogers won his other two, as did Karen Smith and Les Baker for Park to win 7-3 having also taken the doubles.
Richard Hayes began by beating Steve Silk for Desford Village firsts against Arnesby, going on to win all three in a 5-5 draw. Silk won his other two backed by two from Darren Bramhall before Hayes and Sohail Caratella took the doubles 3-2 (11-6, 4-11, 15-13, 6-11, 11-6) to notch the share of points.
A very good maximum for Harry White ensured a 6-4 victory for Electricity IV in Division Three against Great Glen II with some very good support from Asher Abraham with two, and then the doubles.
There were some good maximums also in Division Four, including a match winning one from Steve Lomas for Desford Village III against Regent Sports III in a 6-4 victory to keep himself at the top of the individual averages, albeit having played only three matches so far.
Lucki Obi won three for Leicestershire Police against Wigston Conservatives in a 5-5 draw while Laszlo Kocsis did the same for Nomads III against Abbots Road IV to help to another 5-5 draw.
Andy Searle scored a terrific full house in the latest Daytime Ladder competition when he won his four matches 3-0 to go to the top of the chart after three rounds. Holidays took toll of the numbers this time but a near to full house of 20 is expected next month.
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John Bowness (publicity officer)
November 10, 2014