Nomads Lions set up their stall in the first week of the season Division One of the Clacton League with a convincing 10-0 win over Walton A.
There were hat-tricks for Paul Hume, Adam Cuthbert (pictured above, photo by Roger Hance) and Ethan Lloyd. In the tightest match of the match, Cuthbert narrowly defeated Mark Gale 13-11 in the fifth in the first match of the evening.
Reigning champions Nomads Panthers won 8-2 against Brotherhood B, Greg Green started last season with an unbeaten three. John Hatley and Denes Somodi won two each, but both lost to Brotherhood’s new signing Patrick Cheung.
Kevin Gowlett and Daniel Young led the way with unbeaten performances for Brotherhood A in their side’s 8-2 success against Windsor Hawks. The Hawks will nevertheless be pleased to have pulled off a few surprises, with Andy Vincent and reserve Kelvin Olano-Harper winning the doubles in four against Young and Gracie Edwards, and Vincent winning match ten by an excellent 11-6 in the decisive victory over Edwards.
But there was an exact reverse situation for the Windsor and Brotherhood clubs in another match: the Eagles defeated Brotherhood C by the same 8-2 scoreline. Gavin Price, on his debut for Windsor, and John Pattrick took trebles, although Pattrick had tough games with both Dave Miller and Graham Playle, winning 11-7 in the fifth and 11-5 in the fifth respectively.
Walton B’s Graham Buxton remained unbeaten in his side’s match against newly promoted Windsor Buzzards, but the Buzzards, determined to defy predictions of an early return to the Second Division in pre-season, unexpectedly emerged as 6-4 winners. There were two each for Dave Martin and Andy Cawley, one for Andy Foster, with Cawley and Foster combining for a crucial doubles match. Almost uniquely, all 10 matches played were settled in four sets.
In Division TwoLast year’s runners-up Brotherhood G were given a stern test by promoted Brotherhood J, but ultimately emerged victorious 7-3. Mark Boyland took three, John Gallagher two – including a win over daughter Ruby in their first ever League meeting – and Mark Beckham one, with Boyland and Gallagher winning the doubles. Joe Sherwin grabbed a couple for the ‘J’ team and Ruby Gallagher one, while Tom Bryden just failed to get on the scoresheet and fell behind 11-9 to John Gallagher in the fifth.
Each player picked up at least one point in the tie between Windsor Harriers and Lawford, with the two teams sharing the four matches that went the distance. Windsor’s Barry Allen was the unbeaten star of the show, the closest of his three wins a 3-2 (5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6) victory over Ian Sherwood. Charlie Denholm won a pair for Lawford, teaming with Sherwood to take a crucial 11-7 in the fifth doubles against Allen and Isabel Barton.
Four games also went to five in the Brotherhood D match against Windsor Penguins and again each side took two. But despite a treble from Windsor’s Kelvin Olano-Harper, Brotherhood took the honors 6-4. Fred Gallone and Kevin Pryor each won two for Brotherhood, while Lily Liu beat Paul Stanton a nail-biting 3-2 (11-8, 10-12, 13-15, 11-9, 12-10).
Brotherhood F defeated Nomads Tigers 7-3 thanks to a maximum from Paul Alden, two from Mark Salter and one from Tricia Salter. All three Tigers’ points came from going the distance, with Tom Wilkin beating both Mark Salter and Tricia Salter 11-8 in the fifth, and Matt Sage beating Tricia Salter by the same score.
Bob Jillins and newcomer Andy Hart remained undefeated as Nomads Jaguars defeated Windsor Kestrels 8-2. For the Jaguars, Jonathan Found had a good individual victory over Chris Petrou, with Found, teaming up with doubles-only Graham Bunce, to take Kestrels’ second point against Jillins and Petrou, 11-7 in the decider.
In Division ThreeBrotherhood H started their season well with a 10-0 win over Holland Lancasters, Owen Woollard, Danny Still and Gary Simpson all undefeated. But the Lancasters did not go down without a fight: newcomer Peter Evans lost 11-6 in the fifth to Still, Dave Wright went down an even closer 12-10 in the fifth to Woollard, while Evans and Wright were pipped 11-8 in the fifth in the doubles by Still and Simpson.
Three for John Plummer, two for Alan Rutledge and one for Dave Sweetland saw Windsor Magpies come home 7-3 against Holland Hurricanes. Gerry Widnell won a pair for the Hurricanes and Ian Gwillim one, with Gwillim narrowly losing 3-2 (11-5, 9-11, 12-10, 12-10, 5-11) to Rutledge.
Brotherhood E defeated Nomads Ocelots with two players 6-4, but the returning Mike Wellum showed all his old class and remained undefeated for the Ocelots.
Holland Vulcans defied the experts’ pessimistic pre-season predictions with a 6-4 victory in a highly competitive encounter against Windsor Falcons. Bob Keefe won three for the Vulcans and Derek Foxley two in his competitive debut. For the Falcons there were a few for Matt Thomas who did well to beat Foxley 11-9 in the decider, while debutant Gary Barnes beat James Horsler 11-7 in the decider, and Nigel Rolph beat the same player 11-6 in the fifth.
RESULTS
Division 1
Windsor Buzzards 6 Walton B 4
Windsor Hawks 2 Fraternity A8
Walton A 0 Nomads Lions 10
Fraternity C 2 Windsor Eagles 8
Nomad Panthers 8 Brotherhood B 2
Division 2
Brotherhood J 3 Brotherhood G 7
Windsor Harriers 5 Lawford 5
Nomad Jaguars 8 Windsor Kestrels 2
Fraternity D 6 Windsor Penguins 4
Nomad Tigers 3 Brotherhood F 7
Division 3
Windsor Falcons 4 Holland Vulcans 6
Brotherhood H 10 Holland Lancasters 0
Brotherhood E 6 Nomads Ocelots 4
Holland Hurricanes 3 Windsor Magpies 7
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