Richard's In His Element As Welfare Stretch Lead At The Top

Worksop Miners Welfare 'A' are now starting to put a little bit of daylight between themselves at the top of Division One and the teams trying to chase them down. Their latest win against Manton Nomads was mainly down to Richard Element who had a terrific night enjoying victories over Sarah Short, Kartik Lakhani and Chris Cattell to set his team on their way to what turned out to be a narrow 6-4 victory. Element was well supported by Mark Stanfield who had wins over Short and Lakhani with Jamie Hudd adding a solo win over Lakhani. Cattell with 2, Short with 1 and a win in the doubles for Cattell and Short over Element and Hudd weren't quite enough to get a share of the spoils for the Nomads side.
If Richard Element was the man in form for Welfare 'A' then Jack Kirkland was the same for Stanley Street 'A' in the match against Sparken Hill Starlings. Kirkland's good form has seen him moved up from the division below and his promotion to the 'A' team was fully justified as he won all his three singles games registering an impressive hat trick with victories over Andy Lee, Helmuth Osborne and Ivan Guilliatt. His team mates Alex Millward and Dave Hodgkin also beat Guilliatt and when Kirkland teamed up with Hodgkin to win the doubles it sealed a great night for not only Kirkland but his team as they ran out 6-4 winners.
DTH Redlands Monsters recorded their first ever win in Division One thumping Worksop Welfare Snipers 'A' 9-1. There were hat tricks for both Orestas and Valentinas Riauba with Martynas Riauba adding two wins but losing to Jim Westwood. Martynas and Valentinas teamed up to take the doubles in what turned out to be the closest match of the night as they beat Westwood and Damian Holderny in 5 sets. The win moves the Monsters off the bottom of the table leapfrogging their opponents and also Manton Misfits.
The league leaders in Division Two DTH Redlands X-Youth had a great week this week and they didn't even play a match! Whilst they were enjoying a blank week in the fixture list their nearest rivals Sparken Hill Eagles had two matches to play as they were playing a match that was postponed earlier in the season plus a regular league game. In their first match the Eagles who have been struggling to field a full strength team had to play a player up from Division Three and subsequently suffered their first defeat of the season to Manton Tigers for whom Bill Bateman had a good night as he returned a hat trick of wins and in the process inflicting the first loss of the season on the Eagles John Hallgarth although Hallgarth did go on to beat both Steve Beeston and Chris Mokes but they were to be the only singles wins of the night for the Eagles in a 7-3 defeat.
Two days later the Eagles were in action again against Worksop Welfare Snipers 'B' and again had to play a player up from the division below to field a full side but this time they managed to earn themselves a 5-5 draw. Brian Allen and Keith Swift both won two games each with Connor Bettley from Division Three adding a very good win over Chris Tilstone. For the Snipers Mark Sansom and Ben Swain each won two with the same two players teaming up in the doubles to beat Bettley and Swift.
Other Division Two Results: Manton Tigers 5 Manton Sports 5, Worksop Welfare Snipers 'C' 2 DTH Redlands Joggers 8, Real North Notts 'A' 1 Manton Sports
Division Three Result: Sparken Hill Falcons 9 Sparken Hill Hawks 1, Real North Notts 'B' 1 Worksop Welfare Cypriots 'C' 9, DTH Redlands Red Devils 0 Sparken Hill Blue Jays 10