The top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues saw some hard fought encounters once more this week, as defending champions Lions A moved back to the top of the table.
The Lions A side may be back on top of the table, however for now this is only due to their superior games ratio over Lions B.
They helped increase this ratio courtesy of their comfortable 7-3 win over Lions C. Ben Foss was instrumental in the win due to his trio of singles wins over Paul Hainsworth in 5 sets, Andy Gill in 4 sets and Charlotte Casey in straight sets. Ryan Bichard also performed well during his straight sets win over Andy Gill and 4 set win over Casey, whilst the pair teamed strongly to overcome Gill and Casey in straight sets in the doubles rubber to secure the win. Steve Ozanne extended the margin of victory thanks to his straight sets win over Casey. Hainsworth picked up 2 of the defeated C side's wins but needed to work hard in each. He turned around a 2-1 deficit to beat Ozanne over the full 5 sets before fighting back from 9-6 down in the 5th to overcome Bichard 11-9. Gill claimed the other win thanks to a straight sets triumph over Ozanne.
Lions B's fall from the top of the table came after they were held to a 5-5 draw by 3rd placed side Whistlers A. Having missed the match last week, captain Phil Ogier came back in excellent form and walked away as the only unbeaten player. He dropped just one set in singles action all evening during his wins over Josh Stacey, Dawn Morgan and Ryan Gilson, with Morgan being the player to win a set. His win over Island Men's champion Stacey being the pick of the bunch. He also teamed well with Liam Robilliard during their 4 set doubles win against Stacey and Gilson. Sam Clark was the player to pick up the vital 5th win when he earned an excellent 4 set win over Gilson. For the Whistlers side both Stacey and Morgan beat Robilliard and Clark in singles action, whilst Gilson picked up a crucial 4 set win over Robilliard.
The final match of the week saw 4th placed side Whistlers B earn their first win of the season. They defeated bottom placed side Whistlers C this week in a match which saw Lawrence Stacey hold onto his 100% singles record. Stacey and Ogier are the only 2 players left with this record even at this early stage of the season and Stacey retained this due to his singles wins over Matt Casey, Ellis Tomlin and Joseph Bourgaize for the loss of just a single end to Casey in the process. He was supported well by Ben Sharp who beat Tomlin in straight sets and Bourgaize in 4 sets, whilst Paula Le Ber picked up her first win of the season over Tomlin in 4 sets. The doubles was won by Stacey and Sharp against Casey and Tomlin, however they needed to battle back from 2-0 down to get through. Casey beat Sharp and Le Ber in straight sets for his defeated side, whilst Bourgaize battled past Le Ber in 5 sets.
There was all change at the top of the unpredictable second Division with league leaders St Pauls A slipping to 3rd following their first defeat of the season.
The side to beat them was Whistlers D in a result which sees the Whistlers side up to joint first, however officially second in the table to Ravenscroft Panthers A due to their inferior games ratio.
The result for the Whistlers side was a narrow one as it was edged 6-4. Kay Chivers proved to be the differential on the night due to her dominant unbeaten evening. She defeated Tim Le Page, Chas Elliott and Trevor Bourgaize without dropping an end and also teamed with Opie to beat Le Page and Elliott in straight sets in the doubles encounter. Keith Opie also showed some great form on the night which saw him impressively beat Le Page in straight sets before he fought back incredibly from 2-0 down to overcome Elliott 11-8 in the deciding 5th end. He almost had an unbeaten night but was edged in 5 sets by Bourgaize in his final match of the evening. All of the St Pauls players picked up consolation singles wins against Erin Vaudin.
The Panthers A side are back to the top of the tree after they bounced back impressively from their loss last week to inflict a mammoth 9-1 win over Whistlers E. Oscar Pearson and Ben Foote each defeated Darren Sarre, Matthew Board and reserve Ian Fitchet in singles action, whilst Panthers reserve Peter Vivian beat Fitchet and Sarre. Pearson and Foote won the doubles against Board and Sarre in straight sets. Board prevented the whitewash thanks to his 5 set win over Vivian in a match which he trailed 2-1.
Ravenscroft Panthers B and D continue to be locked at the top of the table ahead of the tasty top of the table clash next week.
The B side have officially been top since the second week of the season due to their superior games ratio and they were ruthless once more this week during a 9-1 rout of Whistlers F. Steve Martin and Shaun Mosley each beat Ken Falla, Max Burrows and Oskar Cleal in singles action, whilst Marli Barker beat Burrows and Cleal. Barker also teamed with Mosley to overcome Burrows and Cleal in straight sets in the doubles. Falla prevented the whitewash at the very last moment when he beat her in straight sets in the concluding match of the night.
The D side on the other hand had a tough match against 3rd placed side and previously unbeaten side Ravenscroft Panthers C. As expected this was a tough tussle which the D side edged through 6-4. Becks O'Keefe is the only player left in the Division with a 100% record and she maintained this thanks to her 4 set win over Peter Vivian, straight sets win over Mark Windsor and a 5 set win over Brandon Ferbrache in the final game of the night. Juliette Yeaman also played well during her battling 5 set win over Windsor in a game which she trailed 2-1 as well as an even better 4 set win over Ferbrache. O'Keefe and Yeaman also combined well to secure the points in the crucial doubles encounter against Windsor and Vivian in straight sets.
