Division 2 Roundup - Week 7

Lagondas Leap Forward

Week 7 of the League season meant all teams playing the only remaining teams they'd not played previously, as the League season has reached its one third point, after seven League matches out of twenty-one.

Leaders, Woburn Sands Mosquitoes, were surprising held to a 5-5 draw by sixth placed Milton Keynes Powers, despite a maximum from Robert Mungham of Mosquitoes, as he beat Kareem Omar and Paul Tompkins in four legs, plus Peter Tillotson in a decider, as well as a three straight win with James Molloy in the doubles against Kareem and Paul.  James added the extra point for Mosquitoes, but only just, as he edged past Peter 13-11 in the fifth.  For Powers, Kareem, Paul and Peter all needed five legs to beat the unfortunate Andy Jenkins, who thus lost all three in deciders, including 11-13 against Peter, whilst Kareem and Paul both got past James in four legs, in an epic match that went to 44 games, and 821 points, for the third highest number of points in a match and equal second highest number of games in match (so far) this season.  Despite only drawing, Mosquitoes maintain their lead at the top by six points, whilst Powers stay sixth.

It was fourth against third, as Newport Pagnell Lagondas took on Open University Shockwaves, but it was Lagondas who moved above their opponents with a big 8-2 win.  Yongwang Tian and Tony Ardis both hit maximums against the Shockwaves trio of Charles Tien, Michael Zhao and Yi Cao, as well as combining in the doubles to beat Charles and Michael in four games, although Tony was pushed all the way in a tight five-gamer by Yi.  Charles and Michael managed one singles win each, as they both beat Glen Davison, but Glen beat Yi for the final Lagondas point.  Lagondas have thus leaped up to third spot, four points behind second although ten points adrift of the leaders, whilst Shockwaves drop to fourth.

In the ‘basement battle’ between Mursley Hawks and Little Horwood Wooden Tops, it was another very long match this week, and similar to the Mosquitoes v Powers match, in that it also lasted 44 games and had over 800 points (and was the second successive 800+ point match for Hawks).  However, it differed from the other match it that it was Hawks who emerged with a big 8-2 win, despite the closeness of the games.  Ian Spanswick scored a fine treble, his first in Division 2, as he seemed to return everything that the opponents could throw at him, although he needed three deciding games of 11-9, 11-6 and 11-9 to do so.  David Bartlett and Martin Johnson each contributed two singles wins to the Hawks tally, and combined to take the doubles, in one of only two three game sets, against Bill Higgins and Paul Reynolds.  Bill and Paul each won one singles, as Bill beat David in five and Paul beat Martin in four, whilst the unluckiest on the night was Andy Hooper, who three times lost out in deciding legs.  The result does not change their positions, but does edge Hawks nearer to sixth, and now six points ahead of Wooden Tops, who have the unenviable record of seven losses from seven matches.

The final match of the week saw second placed Leighton Buzzard Spitfires visit fifth placed Greenleys Moghuls.  Spitfires came away with the win 6-4, despite yet another treble for Marshall Domingo for Moghuls, as he comfortably maintained his 100% record in singles with three wins in straight games.  However, Marshall and partner Jose Blecau lost out in the doubles in four games against Peter Dixon and Edward Lock, whilst the extra point for Moghuls came when Aaron Moore beat Peter in four legs.  For Spitfires, it was two wins each in singles for Edward Lock and Graham Silversides, plus one win for Peter against Jose.  Spitfires thus stay second, now six points behind the leaders, whilst Moghuls stay fifth, but now only one point ahead of Powers in sixth.

Next week sees a repeat of Week 1 of the season, other than venues being reversed, so will feature Hawks (7th) versus Mosquitoes (1st), Powers (6th) against Shockwaves (4th), Spitfires (2nd) playing Wooden Tops (8th) and Moghuls (5th) entertaining Lagondas (2nd).

Player of the Week : Ian Spanswick.
Team of the Week : Newport Pagnell Lagondas.