Results

1^st DIVISION

The season concluded for division 1 this week when the final matches were played.  Both matches featured Wiveliscombe in their bid for the title. First opponents were Gnomads. Wiveliscombe held a slight advantage in the singles with, player of the match, John Edbrooke top-scoring with 7, and Paul Nutkins and Ben Cooper winning 6 sets apiece. The game was basically won in the doubles, where Wiveliscombe scored an unopposed maximum to take the match with 28 points. This placed Wiveliscombe in a strong position for their final match.

Gnomads have had an excellent season and have been  positioned around the top of the table throughout. They proved tough opposition on the night led by Martin Rant with 7 sets. Derek Mayall put in a stunning performance against top opposition, winning 5 sets. Derek’s tally would have been higher as he came within 2 or 3 points of winning no less than 8 other sets – an impressive effort. Dave O’Connell completed the scoring for Gnomads with 4 singles sets. With no success in the doubles the final score for Gnomads ended at 16 points.

The final match, to conclude division 1, saw Wiveliscombe entertaining last year’s champions, Basement Dwellers. It turned out to be a close-fought affair with the home side gradually gaining the upper hand as the match progressed. David Woodland was the star performer of the evening when he gained the award for player of the match for his maximum. Paul Nutkins then added a further 7 sets. John Edbrooke failed to find his top form, but ended the singles with 4 sets. There was little between both teams in the doubles but Wiveliscombe won 5 sets to give them the final match score of 25 points, and the title of ‘division 1 champions’.

Basement Dwellers gave a good account of themselves with Vince Court winning 7 sets and Mike Vickery 6. Curtis King played as substitute, in place of the hard hitting Toby Kerslake, and managed to glean 1 singles set. The team combined to get the better of the doubles with 6 points. Basement Dwellers ended the match with a total of 20 points, leaving them in 4^th place in the division.

Congratulations go to Wiveliscombe for winning the championship, and to Gnomads who claimed the runners-up spot. Well done to all teams and players who participated.