As we head towards the final rotation of matches in the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues, it remains closely contested.
Defending champions Lions A maintained their narrow 2 point advantage at the top following their hard fought 6-4 victory over third placed side Lions B. Ben Foss and Ryan Bichard were each in good form during singles wins over Liam Robilliard and reserve Jonah Ingrouille, whilst the duo also combined strongly to defeat Robilliard and Phil Ogier in the doubles rubber over 4 sets. The 6th and final rubber came courtesy of Steve Ozanne's straight sets win over Ingrouille. Ogier remains to be top of the Division 1 averages and continued his strong form with singles wins over Foss, Bichard and Ozanne, dropping just a single end to Foss in the process. Robilliard won the other match for the defeated B side over Ozanne in straight sets.
Whistlers A remain in the hunt for the title and avoided a potential banana skin during their clash with bottom placed side Whistlers C. The second placed side edged through 6-4. Josh Stacey led his team strongly with singles wins over Matt Casey, Joseph Bourgaize and Ellis Tomlin, dropping just the single end to Casey in the process. Reserve Mark Pipet was ousted in 5 sets by Bourgaize in the opener but bounced back superbly with a 4 set win over Casey and straight sets win over Tomlin in the final match of the night. Left-hander Ryan Gilson secured the win thanks to his 4 set win over Tomlin. Casey and Bourgaize both defeated Gilson in singles action whilst the duo also teamed well to earn an excellent 5 set doubles win over Stacey and Gilson, despite trailing 2-0.
The final match of the week was an identical 6-4 result and it was in favour of 4th placed side Whistlers B over 5th placed side Lions C. Lawrence Stacey is second in the Division 1 averages and showed his class on the evening with straight sets singles wins over reserve Jez Powell, Andy Gill and Charlotte Casey. He also teamed with Ben Sharp in the doubles rubber which they crucially battled back from 2-1 down in against Gill and Casey to win over the full 5 sets. Sharp made sure of the win thanks to assured straight sets singles wins over Gill and Casey. Powell beat Sharp in 4 sets, whilst all of the Lions players earned further singles wins over Whistlers reserve Erin Vaudin.
An incredibly strange week saw the top 3 sides from the prior week all defeated.
The results suit leaders Whistlers D who accordingly retain their strong 6 point lead at the top despite being comfortably beaten by 7th placed side Lions G in a shock result. Andy Ferbrache, Brian Ferbrache and James Crocker all played well on the night and each beat Keith Opie and Erin Vaudin in singles action to earn the win. Andy and Brian also combined very well to earn an excellent straight sets doubles win over the formidable and regular combination of Chivers and Opie. Chivers herself made no mistake in her singles matches, but was tested in each, needing 5 sets to get past left-handed junior Crocker and 4 sets in her encounters with Andy and Brian.
2nd placed side Lions D were humbled 8-2 by St Pauls A, a result which sees the St Pauls B side move ahead of the Lions side on games ratio. Chaz Elliott was the form player with singles wins over Chloe Le Tissier, Shelby Timms and Ian Le Page. Maurice James and Trevor Bourgaize each added wins over Timms and Le Page to finish the victory, whilst they also teamed to beat Le Tissier and Timms in straight sets in the doubles rubber. Le Tissier prevented the whitewash due to her singles wins over James in straight sets and Bourgaize in 4 sets.
The side previously in 3rd position Ravenscroft Panthers B slipped to 4th place following a shock 10-0 whitewash at the hands of 5th placed side Lions F. Nye Matthew, Caden Brouard and reserve Terry Trustum were all in strong form as each earned singles wins over Ben Foote and reserves Sam Kershaw and Juliette Yeaman. Matthew and Brouard also teamed to win the doubles match over Foote and Yeaman in straight sets.
Ravenscroft Panthers B look to be edging ever closer to the title as their strong 5 point advantage was consolidated after a rampant 10-0 whitewash of Lions H. Richard Edwards, Shaun Mosley and Steve Martin were all winners over Mike Brehaut, Dave Finn and reserve Roland Tracums. Breahut came closest during his match with Mosely but was edged in 5 sets having led 2-1. Edwards and Martin won the doubles match against Brehaut and Tracums in straight sets.
