The Premier division was host to three fairly one-sided games this week. Title contenders NESLC Eagles maintained their run of form as they beat St Chads 9-1, the only blemish being Jimmy Scope’s surreal comeback against Paul Baines. Baines was 2 games up and had 7 match points to see off the veteran defender in 3 sets but Scope somehow clawed his way back to win 3-2. NECA beat Cramlington Tigers 10-0 on the Tigers’ home ground and Cramlington Stingers beat Old England Jacks 8-2, division 2 player Blair Carmichael doing well to win against Alan Atkinson.

In contrast, division 1 saw five very close games. Newton B lost 6-4 to Newton A with John Russell winning his hat-trick and Player of the Match. Russell also put in another Player of the Match performance when Newton A travelled to Riding Mill B in the same week as they once again won 6-4. Mount B’s players all won 2 games plus the doubles as they beat Cramlington Reivers, Hinchliffe picking up 2 wins and Jamieson chipping in with a third. NECA B drew 5-5 with Byker B, Kit Robinson winning her 3 and Player of the Match. Finally, Matfen Centurions played a heavily-contested 5-5 draw with Mitford B when Chris Kilsby and Robert Neil Forsyth for Matfen, plus Barry Hill for Mitford all won 2 games.

In division 2, Ouston A’s players all won 2 matches each plus the doubles, but none were able to beat Matfen Tribunes’ Keith Hodges who took Player of the Match. Neil Wilkinson took the same accolade for Ouston B as they comfortably beat Old England Fatts 8-2. A difference in styles saw some strange results when Cramlington Trojans beat Byker C 6-4 with all of the Cramlington players winning 2 games and Jim Robertson doing the same for Byker.