Weekend One Report :

2011/12

Division Three South and East - Bedford Modern II won all four of their games and they lead the way from Property Street Rowhedge (six points) who also stayed undefeated but drew twice.

Bedford achieved their biggest win in the first round beating Morpeth Greenhouse TK 7-1 and 5-3 wins followed against Britannia Ipswich, Kingfisher II and Generation 2. Rob Swift, Olivier Autin and John Alsop were all undefeated against Morpeth whilst Krzystof Gaicki picked up Morpeth‘s win. He beat Steve Silk 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11. Britannia Ipswich proved to be a tough nut to crack. Robert Swift won his two singles although he had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Nigel Hodder 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, 5-11, 12-10 in the opening game whilst Olivier Autin also won twice. Autin beat Ken Lewis 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 and Nigel Hodder 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11. Wayne Shaw was the best of the Ipswich players. He beat both John Alsop and Steve Silk. Bedford’s Mick Harper and Josh Robinson
were both undefeated against Kingfisher II. Former Premier Division player Harper used his considerable experience to get the better of Keith Newell 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 and James Olsson 11-7, 11-5, 13-15, 11-7. Josh Robinson sealed the victory for Bedford with a 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12 success against Eric Van Looy. Bedford Modern’s John Alsop sealed their victory over Generation 2 by getting the better of Daniel Lucking 3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-2 in the last game. Josh Robinson (four wins out of four on the Sunday) won his two singles whilst Stuart Seaholme, Mick Harper and John Alsop all won once.

The local derby between Britannia Ipswich and Colchester side - Property Street Rowhedge finished tied at 4-4. Andrew Mudie won twice for Property Street Rowhedge defeating Nigel Hodder and Gary Young whilst Wayne Shaw won his two singles for Britannia Ipswich. He beat Greg Green 4-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 and Antony Greenwood 8-11, 12-10, 12-10, 19-17. Greg Green clinched the draw for the Colchester team by getting the better of Ken Lewis 11-6, 11-3, 11-7.

Property Street Rowhedges’ Andrew Mudie (who won all eight of his singles over the two days) proved to be an outstanding no. one and he led his side to a 5-3 win over Hastings. On this occasion he received excellent support from Michael Andrews who won twice. Michael Andrews beat John Wilson 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 to give his side a 4-2 lead and although Nick Standen hit back by beating Antony Greenwood 3-0 the victory was to go to the way of the Rowhedge Club. Alan Burgess defeated Lisa Standen 3-0 in the eighth game.

Britannia Ipswich impressed against Urban Progress II. Gary Young, Nigel Hodder and Paul Broxton were all unbeaten as they ran out 7-1 winners. Gary Young (6/8 wins) beat Antony Constantinou 8-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 in the opening game and after that the Ipswich side never looked back. Young also played well against Zoltan Kulics, running out a convincing 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 winner.

The round three battle between Generation 2 and Property Street Rowhedge was a good one. Four games were decided in the fifth end and these were shared at 2-2. Antony Greenwood scored a fine 14-12 in the deciding end victory over the many times Isle of Wight Champion Roger Hookey in the opening game and this set the tone for the match. Andrew Mudie gave the Colchester side a 2-0 lead with a hard-fought 11-4, 4-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8 success over Ross Saxby and Property Street Rowhedge led 4-2 at one stage. Generation 2 weren’t beaten. Ross Saxby battled through to beat Michael Andrews 12-10, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5 and Daniel Lucking sealed a point for the Southampton team by defeating Alan Burgess 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8. Quite a finish !.

Kingfisher did well to beat Hastings 5-3, good going as the Hastings side was bolstered by the inclusion of Paul Barry. Paul won his two singles - it was touch and go against Keith Newell where he scraped home 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9 but it was “business as usual” as he defeated England no. 71 Veteran Andy Misseldine 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.

Hastings in turn beat Generation 2 5-3. Paul Barry’s two wins were supplemented by two victories for Nathan Darby and an important match-clinching win for Matt Porter over Keith Childs (11-8, 11-8,
7-11, 11-8) the win that gave Hastings an unassailable 5-2 lead.

Division Standings

Results Chart

Player Averages

2010/11

Inauspicious start for injury affected  Britannia Ipswich in the first round of British League matches which took place last weekend [11^th.& 12^th.Sept’10] at St.Neots.

With Andy having an intermittent shoulder/neck problem, Gary nursing a back problem, Paul nursing a sore Achilles tendon, and Ian returning after a long injury layoff, it was no surprise to see the team finding it tough in what is a very strong division including a number of highly ranked players.

Add in the fact that Ken was unable to be included in the team also through injury and perhaps the team might have been better named Britannia ‘crocks’ !!

Day 1 [Saturday].

In the first match, Bedford were far to strong and only Andy managed to record a win, though a number of the games were close. Result 7-1 to Bedford.

In the second match, both Andy and Paul each won 2, and with Ian chipping in with one win Britannia recorded a superb 5-3 win against Urban Progress.    

Surprisingly, Gary was unable to get the better of any of his opponents and failed to record a win on day 1.

Day 2 [Sunday].

The first match saw Andy without a win, but now in better form, Gary won 2, Paul won 1 as did Ian, to earn the team a hard fought 4-4 draw against Ellenborough.

In the second match Andy unfortunately had to concede both his games, his shoulder/neck problem simply not allowing him to take part. Although Gary and Ian managed to win 1 each, this was the extent of the team’s success going down 2-6 to York Gardens. This result was subsequently reversed by the ETTA, York Gardens having fielded an ineligible player !

Hopefully the team will all be fully fit for the next round of British League matches scheduled to take place at St.Neots on 11th.&12th.December 2010.

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Below is the 'official' report on the first round of matches :

Division Three South

Bedford Modern made an excellent start to the Season and will be looking to bounce back to Division two at the first attempt. A commanding 7-1 win over Britannia Ipswich in the first round was a clear statement of their intentions with Hamish Yeung, Stuart Seaholme and Ben Gardner all remaining undefeated. Yeung’s hard-fought 13-15, 11-4, 11-7, 13-15, 11-9 win over near name-sake Gary Young in the opening game was the closest of the match. Bedford’s 5-3 victory over promoted Ellenborough wasn’t quite so convincing, after they had surged into a 4-0 lead. John Camilleri gave the Bedford side a first match advantage by fighting back from 2-1 down to get the better of England no. 30 Junior Bradley Tuttle 5-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 but he was found wanting in his second game, missing out 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11 against Philip Walker. It was that most experienced of performers – Stuart Seaholme who held his side together and he beat David Evans 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 as well as Paul Martindill 7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-5.

Hastings were Bedford’s third-round opponents and they also succumbed narrowly 5-3. Matthew Porter, elevated to number one in the Sussex side’s line-up clearly relished “the extra responsibility” and he scored two fine wins. Porter beat John Camilleri 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 as well as Hamish Yeung 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 12-10. Dave Butler’s four game win over Stuart Seaholme became Stuart’s one defeat over the weekend. A new-look Bognor Regis were despatched 6-2 in the last round after Hamish Yeung and Stuart Seaholme both won twice whilst John Camilleri and Ben Gardner both picked up single wins.

Mossford II follow next on seven points and crucially Bedord still have still to play them. Mossford are strong and England no. seven lady Klaudia Szadkowska proved to be an outstanding no. one. Her eight singles wins included some really hard-fought battles and rather uniquely not one of her eight wins was achieved three-straight. How often has that happened ?. The scores evidence just how well she battled. Klaudia beat Bradley Tuttle 8-11, 6-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-9 as well as Matt Porter 6-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 14-12. It was only marginally easier against Bognor Regis’s Mateusz Sadkowski (11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11) and Michael White (12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11) as well as Pritesh Kakad (11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 3-11, 11-7). Mossford hit the jackpot against Bognor Regis and ran out excellent 8-0 winners (the only 8-0 result in this Division). Klaudia, Barbara Izyk, Robin Ashleigh and Phil Ashleigh all played well. Robin excelled by beating Mateusz Sadlowski 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9.

Luca Mariano was the pick of the York Gardens players and his only defeat was against Urban Progress’s fast-improving no. one Pritesh Kakad in a match which ended as a draw. Luca had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Mateusz Sadlowski 7-11, 14-12, 11-9, 7-11, 14-12 but he showed his undoubted ability as he despatched Matt Porter (6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-6) as well as Gary Young (11-5, 11-8, 11-9). However, York Gardens have paid a very heavy price for including Luca in this team because as the Club’s seventh ranked player he is not eligible for this side and as such the team played completely out of order in all four matches and all results have been amended.

The Sunday morning match between Britannia Ipswich and Ellenborough was a hard- fought one and eventually finished tied at 4-4. Bradley Tuttle (unbeaten on the Sunday) won twice for Ellenborough which included a decisive 4-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 win over Andy Warner whilst Gary Young won his two singles for the Suffolk side. Young fought back with a vengeance from 10-6 down in the fifth end to beat British League scribe Steve Kerns (8-11, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 14-12) and he just held off a late-charge from a determined Paul Martindill in the fifth end before triumphing 12-10, 12-10, 9-11, 1-11, 11-9. Young had led 9-2 in the fifth end of this game at one stage. Ipswich’s much-improved Paul Broxton impressed by defeating Philip Walker 3-11, 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6.

Ellenborough scored their first win of the weekend in round four when they beat Hastings 6-2 – who had finished above them in Division four South last Season. Bradley Tuttle, who will surely be playing in the first division within a year or two showed his class by beating Matt Porter 3-1 and his 3-1 victory over Nick Standen gave his side a winning 5-1 lead. All-action Matt Porter wasn’t to be denied against Steve Kerns and he fought back from 2-1 down (as well as 9-6 down in the fifth end) to win 5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 10-12.

Details of all British League divisional results can be found on the ETTA website (Events section).