Division 1 Roundup - Week 19

Sasaki Soar and Avengers Accumulate

Slightly belated report for last week, but the Division 1 title seems to have been as good as wrapped up by MK Sasaki, whilst LB Avengers advance in the chase for runners-up spot.

It was top versus bottom when Milton Keynes Sasaki visited Mursley Hawks, and after a 10-0 win to Sasaki, those positions look virtually certain to be the season ending ones for the two teams.  Sasaki are already 14 points clear at the top, with a game in hand, whilst Hawks are 15 points adrift of seventh, having played a match more!  As such, the result was no big surprise, and even the Hawks' occasional player, Mark Dixon, was unable to grab a point, although he went mighty close to beating top of the Averages, Michael Wilkins, only going down 12-14 in the decider.  Otherwise, it was business as usual for the Sasaki trio of Wilkins, Minesh Pitamber and William Kit Liang, against the Mursley lineup of Mark, David Bartlett and Ian Spanswick, with William and Minesh not dropping even a game in singles.  It was maximums for Michael and William as they also took the doubles against Mark and Ian in four games.

Second-placed Leighton Buzzard Avengers faced clubmates, seventh-placed Leighton Buzzard Spitfires, and it was Avengers who left with most of the spoils, winning 8-2.  Fabrice Spelta and Matuesz Browarnik each just dropped one game in each winning their singles, and made it a maximum by also winning the doubles against Barry Hammond and Graham Silversides, though only just, as they were taken to deuce in the fourth at 1-2 down, but snatched that game 13-11 and ran out winners in the decider.  Steve Jordan added one further singles to the Avengers tally, whilst for Spitfires, it was one singles win each for Barry and Andy King.  The result leaves Avengers nine points ahead of MK Phoenix, having played one match more, whilst Spitfires are still nine points behind sixth-placed MK Sharks.  The wins for Fabrice made it 22 singles win in a row for him.

Third-placed Milton Keynes Phoenix were meanwhile being held to a 5-5 draw by Chackmore Hasbeens, one place behind them.  No trebles here in a close contest throughout, with two singles wins by Alan Bolding and Mervyn Phillips for Phoenix, whilst also two singles wins by Sam Willett for Hasbeens.  Gerald Ridgway picked up one further singles win to complete the Phoenix total, whilst for Hasbeens, there was one singles win each for Bub Burman and Andy Whitehead, plus yet another doubles win for the pair, against Mervyn and Gerald, as Phoenix maintained a three point gap ahead of Hasbeens, with a match in hand.

The final match of the week featured Milton Keynes Sharks, in sixth, at home to clubmates, Milton Keynes Pumas, in fifth, and it was Pumas who ran away with a big 8-2 win.  For Pumas, both Andy Smith and Neil Riddy scored three singles wins, whilst Adam Snowdon added two more singles win to their score, although Neil and Adam lost out in the doubles to Rupert Greyling and Derick Rodrigues.  For Sharks, only Derick managed to score one singles win, with no wins for Rupert or Abhay Tijare, although Rupert pushed Andy very close in the opening set, just going down 8-11 in the deciding game.

This week is the Last 16 of the Challenge Cup, with MK Phoenix the only Division 1 representatives left, and they face a tough match against Division 3's Milton Keynes Cavaliers, the Cup holders, plus a 120 point handicap.

Player of the Week : Milton Keynes Pumas.
Team of the Week : Willian Kit Liang.