The leading trio in the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues all won, ensuring the title race remains to be hotly contested until the final stages of the season.
Whistlers A remain clear by a single point at the top from Lions A and Lions B, however the chasing sides have a game in hand on their rivals and also a superior games ratio.
The Whistlers side faced a tough test against the 6th placed Lions D side but managed to secure a narrow 6-4 win. Joshua Stacey proved to be the difference as he was unbeaten for the leaders. He defeated Ryan Bichard and Sam Clark in 4 sets, followed by a straight sets win over Steve Ozanne. He also combined well with Joseph Bourgaize in the crucial doubles rubber where they overcame Ozanne and Clark in 4 sets. Matthew Casey picked up an important 5 set win over Ozanne, in a game where Ozanne had led 2-0. Casey battled back very well to take the final 3 ends by the close scores of 12-10, 11-9. 12-10. Bourgaize finished the job in the final match of the night when he defeated Clark in straight sets. Bichard was victorious over Casey in 4 sets and Bourgaize in straight sets, whilst Clark reversed a 2-0 deficit to beat Casey in 5. Ozanne picked up the other Lions win when he fought back from 2-1 down to beat Bourgaize over the full 5 set distance.
Lions A completed a comfortable 7-3 win over 4th placed side Lions C this week in a fixture where no player ended the night unbeaten. For the victors, all players picked up 2 singles wins. Joshua Butler and Liam Robilliard each beat Jez Powell and Charlotte Casey, whilst Matthew Stubbington beat Phil Ogier and Casey. The closest of these encounters was the match between Stubbington and Ogier, in the match opener. Ogier had looked in a good position when leading 2-0, but Stubbington roared back to win over 5 sets. The doubles was also claimed by the victors as Butler and Stubbington cruised to a comfortable straight sets win over Ogier and Powell. Ogier was the best performer for the beaten side due to his straight sets win over Butler and 4 set win over Robilliard, whilst Powell added a straight sets win over Stubbington.
Lions B were 7-3 winners over the in-form 5th placed side Whistlers B in the final match of the week. The Whistlers side were unbeaten in 5 matches heading into it, but the Lions side were led strongly by Ben Foss and had too much on the night. Foss is in a tremendous run of form that saw him extend his unbeaten singles run in the leagues to 23 matches, with his last defeat coming way back in early November. He did have however one of his toughest tests during this period in his match with Lawrence Stacey, but he held firm and fought back from 2-1 down to win the deciding set comfortably 11-6. His other wins came over Mark Pipet and Shelby Timms in straight sets. Jamie Ferbrache defeated Timms in straight sets and ended his evening well with a hard fought 5 set win over Pipet. He had earlier teamed with Foss to win the important doubles match over Pipet and Timms in straight sets. Nye Matthew extended the margin of victory when he defeated Timms in 4 sets. Stacey beat Ferbrache and Matthew in straight sets, whilst Pipet beat Matthew in 4 sets.
League leaders Whistlers E maintain a strong lead of 5 points, despite not having had a match this week and this led to some interesting clashes further down the table, where some unexpected results were obtained.
The match between 3rd placed side Whistlers D and 4th placed side Lions G ended as a 6-4 win for the latterly mentioned underdogs. Andy Ferbrache had one his best evenings of the season and was unbeaten. This included an excellent 4 set win over Kay Chivers, as well as a 4 set win over Keith Opie and a straight sets win over Jayden Tucknott. Joe Ingrouille added a straight sets win over Keith Opie and a 4 set win over Tucknott, whilst the final match was won by the rapidly improving Lions 3rd Division junior reserve Aiden Ozanne. Ozanne has thrived from the challenge of competing in Division 2 this season and he has picked up some notable scalps. This time he beat Opie in 4 sets and also came close against Tucknott, losing out in 5 sets.
Ravenscroft Panthers B may be bottom of the league, but they managed to secure their first win of the season this week. The win in question was 6-4 over a weakened Whistlers C side missing both Martin Sarre and Paula Le Ber. The Panthers side took full advantage of this and it saw them pick up 5 wins out of 6 against the 2 third Division reserves. Juliette Yeaman, Marli Barker and 3rd Division reserve of their own, Albie Lihou, all defeated Shane Cotter in singles action. Yeaman and Barker also defeated Darren Sarre, but for Yeaman this was tough and which saw her edge it 12-10 in the 5th set. The doubles proved to be another key match in which Yeaman and Barker edged out brothers Stuart and Darren Sarre in 5 sets. For the beaten Whistlers side, Stuart was unbeaten, whilst Darren earned himself a notable 5 set win over Lihou, a player who is much higher in the Division 3 averages.
The single point gap between Ravenscroft Panthers C and Lions J remains intact, however only just after the league leaders almost slipped up against Lions K.
The Panthers side's narrow 6-4 win was obtained in dramatic style as it saw Barnaby Groves fight back from 2-1 down to edge out Henri Whitehorne 11-8 in the deciding set. Groves had earlier beaten Lions reserve Emily Gavey in 4 sets, whilst Steve Martin had defeated Mike Brehaut and Gavey, each in straight sets. The Panthers duo won the important doubles match over Whitehorne and Brehaut in 5 sets and it was their own reserve Jamie Regan that sealed the win. He overcame the disappointment of dropping the opening set to Gavey by powering past in 4 sets. For the beaten side, Whitehorne and Brehaut each won twice and this included an exceptional 5 set win for Brehaut over Groves, who was second in the Division 3 averages at the time.
