BURTON REACH TABLE SUMMIT
Burton G have opened up a nine point cushion at the summit of the Division 3 table, following this week’s 25-14 triumph against Dallam F.
Burton forged a dream 3-0 advantage when Danny Jackson and George Pickering scored straight sets victories against James Neal and Nina Duxbury respectively, while Mark Stitch coolly held his nerve to edge out Jack Horrocks 12-10 in a dramatic final set showdown. Neal hauled Dallam onto the score-sheet, as he swept aside Stitch 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, while team mate Horrocks earned another three points for the Milnthorpe side when he disposed of Jackson 4-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-7. It was Burton however who proved too strong for their opponents, securing a comfortable 25-14 triumph, as George Pickering secured all three victories, combining with Stitch and Jackson’s two wins apiece.
Dent B climbed into third position, only thirteen points off the leaders with a game in hand, after a brutal 30-0 drubbing of Grayrigg B. Dent’s Danny Smith, Wayne Gardner and Peter Hawley demonstrated their superiority by winning each game in three straight sets.
Natland B have moved into second place in the Division 1 table, 7 points behind Burton A, following an 8-2 triumph over Glaxo B. Roger Pimblett fired Natland off the mark with a five set 11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 8-11, 11-4 success against Keith Mallinson, only for Tony Whitehouse to level with a 3-0 victory against Bernard Pickthall. Natland took command of the tie to make it 4-1, as Pickthall eclipsed Mallinson in straight sets, adding to Pimblett and Luke Biggins’s 3-0 successes against Alan Turner. Whitehouse fought tirelessly for Glaxo and was rewarded with a blistering 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 win against Biggins. A scoreline of 8-2 in Natland’s favour was completed when Pickthall and Biggins beat Turner and Mallinson respectively and Pimblett turned on the style in an exhausting last singles match of the night to defeat Whitehouse 7-11, 10-12, 15-13, 12-10, 11-3.
Crook B maintained an excellent start to the season, after a comprehensive 8-2 success against Natland C. Bob Bagot’s early two victories for Crook against Louisa Bevan and Peter Taylor, in addition to Colin Pratt’s 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 triumph also against Taylor, eased Crook into a slender 3-2 advantage. Crook continued to dominate moving into the second period, as Pratt and Bagot completed a hat-trick of wins. Natland finally got themselves on the score-sheet and salvaged three points from the match, when Mick Taylor and Louisa Bevan beat Brian Tigg, while Peter Taylor scored a breathtaking 7-11, 13-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-7 victory in the game of the night against Tigg. Crook have now climbed into sixth position in the table, while Natland lay second from bottom without a win.
Burton A have made a great start to the new season and continue to head the table, following a narrow 6-4 triumph over Dallam A. Chris Knowles and Martin Wakelin enabled Burton to open to a 2-0 lead with victories against Jonathan Hyman and Craig James respectively. Adam Fox and Hyman fought back for Dallam and levelled the encounter at 2-2, following Fox’s 12-10, 11-7, 13-11 success against Stitch and Hyman’s four set victory against Wakelin. Burton however edged the tie 6-4 moving into the second period, when Knowles completed his three wins, including an 11-7 victory in the fifth set against Fox, while Stitch recorded two wins against James and Hyman.
Dallam C head the Division 2 table, by 6 points from Kirkby Stephen A, with Dallam B and Crook C close behind. At the relegation end of the table, Dent A prop up the division, while Grayrigg A lay second from bottom, three points from safety.
