Cypriot Sides Keep The Pressure On Blue Jays

Worksop Welfare Cypriots 'A' and 'B' teams both won this week to keep the heat on the current leaders in Division Three Sparken Hill Blue Jays. The 'A' team had a pretty straight forward night of it as they comfortably beat an improving Real North Notts 'B' side 10-0. There were hat tricks all round for Nigel Stent, Kay Wilson and Farhad Saiepour with Saiepour now making it 18 wins out of 18 and looking ever increasingly like going through the whole season unbeaten. Although their opponents didn't manage to win a set all night there are encouraging signs that Glen Gillgrass and his young team are making improvements in what for some of them is their first ever season in any league.
Cypriots 'B' had a much tougher time than their club colleagues as they were up against Sparken Hill Falcons who before the match were only one point and one place behind them in the league table and that closeness showed in the match. Neil Fisher had an amazing night for the Cypriots as he came back from either 2-1 or 2-0 down in all three of his singles games to win all three matches in the deciding set! His wins over Mick Potter and Neil Penny were close but his win over Jordan Potter was the closest of all as four of the games were either won or lost by an 11-9 scoreline. Fisher's hat trick paved the way for the Cypriots victory with Graham Stent adding wins over both Mick and Jordan Potter with Dean Marsh adding a solo win over Penny to make up the six sets in their 6-4 victory. Mick and Jordan Potter completed the scoring when they beat Fisher and Stent in the doubles.
With both of the Cypriots sides registering wins it was vitally important that the Blue Jays also came away with a win against DTH Redlands Tarr Babies which on paper didn't look a straight forward task. The Blue Jays Mr Reliable, Ivan Stallworthy, was again the player in form for the Sparken Hill outfit as he once again won all his three games against Roman Rosser, Ted Rizzo and Adam Pinches with only Pinches causing him any trouble by taking him to 4 games. Both Connor Bettley and Dave Rix  added two wins for the Blue Jays but losing to different opponents, Bettley beating Rosser and Rizzo but losing to Pinches with Rix beating Rizzo and Pinches before losing in 5 sets to Rosser which was Rosser's first win of the season and if he shows the same sort of form again it won't be his last.
The latest results all now mean that the Blue Jays stay one point ahead of Cypriots 'A' with Cypriots 'B' a further 2 points behind.
The race for the Division One title took another twist this week as the league leaders and previously unbeaten Worksop Miners Welfare 'A' had a rude awakening as second placed DTH Redlands Fluffy Toys brought the big guns out to upset the apple cart and inflict Welfare 'A's first defeat of the season. Paul Johnson did the damage for The Fluffy Toys as he beat all three Welfare players in Dave Marsh, Richard Element and Mark Stanfield to set up a much needed 7-3 victory for the Toys. Johnson was well supported by Steve Walker and Farrell Anthony with Walker beating Stanfield and Marsh with Anthony adding a single win also against Marsh. Walker and Johnson then came together to beat Element and Stanfield in the doubles to complete the scoring. Despite the defeat Welfare 'A' still remain top but if DTH Redlands Roosters win their game in hand they will be level on points with the leaders.
Other Division One Results: DTH Redlands Monsters 6 Sparken Hill Starlings 4, DTH Redlands Roosters 10 Worksop Welfare Snipers 'A' 0.
In Division Two Manton Sports did the league leaders DTH Redlands X-Youth a massive favour this week as they gave their nearest rivals for the title a 9-1 hammering. Sparken Hill Eagles who were most people's favourites for the Division Two title before the season started have had a tough last few weeks having now lost to both Manton sides. All three Manton Sports players had terrific nights especially Alan Wilson and Richard Robinson who both remained unbeaten both defeating an Eagles side consisting of Keith Swift, Mark Fisher and James Wormwell with only Wormwell having any joy as he beat another James in James Weston.
That defeat for the Eagles and a 10-0 win for DTH Redlands X-Youth over Real North Notts 'A' has now put some real daylight between the two sides with X-Youth opening up an 8 point gap between the two sides with DTH Redlands Joggers leapfrogging the Eagles into second place with a 7-3 win over Worksop Miners Welfare Snipers 'B' and now it's the Joggers who are closest to the league leaders but still six points adrift of them.
Other Division Two Result: DTH Redlands Rookies 1 Worksop Welfare Snipers 'C' 9.