The top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues sees just 3 points separating the top 6 sides, with just a single team with a 100% winning start remaining.
Lions C are the sole side remaining with a 100% winning start, but they were pushed very hard by a bottom placed Ravenscroft Panthers A side, missing Andy Gill, and sneaked through 6-4. Ryan Bichard is one of just 2 players left with a 100% singles record in the Division and he was one of the key factors behind the victory, with 3 important wins recorded. He defeated Barnaby Groves, Nye Matthew and reserve Ben Foote, all over 4 sets. Dan Collenette added wins against Matthew in straight sets and Foote in 4 sets, whilst Connor Powell picked up an important straight sets win against Foote to secure the victory. For the Panthers side, Groves impressed particularly during a 5 set win over Collenette, but he also defeated Powell in 4 sets. Matthew came through against Powell in straight sets, whilst Groves and Matthew combined well and fought back to defeat Collenette and Powell in 5 sets in the doubles, in a match where they trailed 2-1. The Panthers duo also found themselves 7-1 behind in the decider, only to produce a sensational comeback and take it 12-10.
The battle between the 2 Whistlers teams ended as a 5-5 stalemate and saw the 100% winning start ended for Whistlers B, who are now a single point adrift of the leaders. It was Joshua Stacey that did the damage for the A side, as he contributed to 4 of the 5 rubbers won by his side on the night. The hardest fought came during his clash with twin Lawrence. They usually have close matches and this was no different. Joshua was always ahead, but Lawrence kept battling and forced the deciding end. Again it was nip and tuck, but Joshua did just enough in the end and snuck through 11-9. His other victories were in straight sets over Dawn Morgan and reserve Kennedy Chepkor. The doubles was another tough tussle, but it saw Joshua and Bourgaize come through against Lawrence and Morgan in 5 sets. This came from a 2-1 deficit, with the final 2 sets being clinched 11-9, 11-7. Matthew Casey was the player to pick up the other rubber for the A side courtesy of a straight sets win over Chepkor. For the B side, Lawrence and Morgan each beat Casey and Bourgaize in singles action. Morgan's clash against Casey was the critical one as it came in the final match of the night. Casey fought back well from 2-0 down before Morgan comfortably won the decider 11-5. The final victory came from reserve Chepkor, who played excellently to upset Bourgaize in 5 sets.
Lions B are up into 3rd spot and they inflicted a first defeat of the season on 5th placed Lions D, 7-3 the final result. The fixture was significant in that it saw the side at full strength for the first time this season, with Jamie Ferbrache returning to action. Phil Ogier proved to be the main man as he successfully completed an unbeaten evening of action. He beat Jez Powell in straight sets in his opener, followed up by a 4 set win over 2nd Division reserve Mark Fenwick. His final match was against Paul Hainsworth and despite leading 2-0, he was extended to a deciding end, which he took 11-7. Steve Ozanne was in strong form as he beat Powell in 4 sets and Fenwick in straight sets, whilst Ferbrache comfortably beat Fenwick in straight sets. The doubles was won by Ogier and Ferbrache against Hainsworth and Powell in 4 sets. For the defeated side, Hainsworth beat Ferbrache and Ozanne in straight sets, whilst Powell beat Ferbrache in straight sets.
The final match of the week saw Lions E pick up their first win of the season and move into 6th position. They edged past a Lions A side missing Joshua Butler 6-4. Ben Foss is the other player besides Bichard to maintain a 100% singles record and he was a comfortable straight sets winner over Liam Robilliard, Sam Clark and reserve James Crocker. Matthew Stubbington was also unbeaten, dropping just a single leg to Robilliard in the process. All of the A side players defeated Charlotte Casey in singles action, whilst Robilliard and Clark defeated Foss and Casey in 4 sets in the doubles match.
Whistlers C remain top by a single point, but they were tested by Lions G and edged through 6-4. Chepkor, Paula Le Ber and Tim Le Page all won twice to see them through. They all defeated Ollie Sparkes in singles action, whilst Chepkor and Le Page defeated Brian Ferbrache in 4 and 5 sets respectively. Le Ber ended out as the hero of the night as she saved her best table tennis for the final match of the night, securing a pivotal straight sets win against Andy Ferbrache, who had been unbeaten in the evening at that point. Andy had beaten Chepkor in straight sets and Le Page in 4 sets, as well as teaming with brother Brian to overcome Chepkor and Le Page in 4 sets in the doubles match. Brian on the other hand played some excellent table tennis to dispatch Le Ber in 4 sets.
Ravenscroft Panthers D remain top of the table by 2 points and secured their 100% winning start with a pair of 10-0 whitewashes on a week which saw an additional fixture contested on Monday evening.
The team of Micah Cohen, Shaun Mosley and Steve Martin were relentless against St Pauls B and Whistlers G, with just 9 sets dropped across the 20 matches played.
The St Pauls side of Rob Vile, John Wills and Brian Le Cras fared the best of the 2 sides as they picked up 6 of these sets. Vile in particular came close against both Cohen and Martin as despite leading these games 2-1 and 2-0 respectively, he lost both in the deciding ends, 11-8 and 13-11 respectively.
For the Whistlers side of Ian Fitchet, Shane Cotter and Ken Falla, Falla picked up a set against Martin, whilst Cotter lost in 4 to Cohen. The other end was taken in the doubles where Cohen and Martin dispatched Fitchet and Falla in 4 sets.
Lions K and Lions M are locked together at the top, with each having dropped just a single point this season, which was a draw between the sides.
The K side has the superior games ratio however and are thus the formal leaders and they were comfortable 8-2 winners over Lions L this week. Rolands Tracums was unbeaten as he overcame Frank Coppolo in 5 sets, Ella Le Ber in 4 sets and reserve John Mauger in 4 sets. Val Guilbert defeated Coppolo and Mauger in 4 sets, whilst Diane Le Page added wins over Coppolo and Le Ber in 4 sets. Tracums and Le Page won the doubles against Coppolo and Le Ber in 4 sets. The whitewash was prevented due to Le Ber's 4 set win over Guilbert and Mauger's 4 set win over Le Ber.
