Rookies Clinch Division Three Title

DTH Redlands Rookies this week won their 15th league game out of 15 and with it the Division Three title. The Rookies have been front runners all season and it has come as no surprise that they have won the title but never the less Captain Derek Piper has marshalled his squad superbly well all season. The win that clinched the title came away at Stanley Street 'E' and the Rookies did it in some  style whitewashing Street 'E' 10-0. There were hat-tricks all round for Dilip Malkan, Chris Clemson and Bob Atkinson with Malkan and Cutts teaming up to take the doubles and although the Street team of Jasper Turner, Finlay Coburn and Tai Chen took a bit of a mauling they can take heart from the fact that they are a young team and are improving all the time.
The two teams that are in the race for the second promotion place in Division Three met this week and although the outcome of the match wouldn't decide it one way or the other for definite, the losers would find themselves relying on other teams in the division to do them a favour. On-Line Elks where just a single point in front of Ryton Park Cougars but had a game in hand over the Cougars and knew a win over their rivals would put them in pole position for promotion. They made the perfect start with wins for Jonno Blood over Ivan Stallworthy and Neil Houghton over Dave Rix but were pegged back to 2-1 when Connor Bettley defeated Glen Gillgrass in a 5 set thriller which ebbed one way and then the other. Blood and Houghton then won their next games over Bettley and Stallworthy respectively to take a 4-1 lead before Rix beat Gillgrass to get the Cougars back in the match at to 4-2. Blood and Houghton then defeated Rix and Stallworthy in the doubles and when Houghton completed his hat trick with a win over Bettley it ensured the win for the Elks, a win that now puts them 4 points in front of the Cougars with a game in hand. Stallworthy then beat Gillgrass to make it 6-3 before Blood beat Rix in straight sets to cement a 7-3 victory.
Elsewhere in Division Three Ryton Park Falcons had a good win away at DTH Redlands Tarr Babies to put some daylight between themselves and bottom side DTH Redlands Liver Birds. It was a real team effort for the Falcons as Lee Banton, Jordan Potter and Mick Potter all won two games each as they all defeated both Roman Rosser and Bob Hamilton-McGee but none of the Falcons team could manage a win over the player of the match Adam Pinches who had a great night completing an impressive hat trick. Jordan and Mick Potter teamed up to take the doubles with a win over Rosser and Pinches to complete the scoring.
In Division Two DTH Redlands Monsters clinched promotion to Division One next season with an 8-2 win over a depleted Stanley Street 'B' team and now only need a single point to be crowned Division Two Champions. Both Martynas and Orestas Riauba won all three of their games against Jack Kirkland, Glyn Williams and Harry Beer who was playing up from Division Three and the only singles game the Monsters dropped came when Kirkland beat Valentinas Riauba in straight sets. The only other success the Street side had was when Kirkland and Williams comfortably beat Valentinas and Orestas in straight sets in the doubles.
Stanley Street Cypriots relegation back down to Division Three was confirmed this week as they lost to a DTH Redlands X-Youth side who are chasing promotion to Division One. Captain Clive Eden led the way with a hat trick with wins over Graham Stent, Neil Fisher and George Makrakis and he was well supported by Mark Bloomer and Ewan Pickersgill who both won two games each, both losing to Makrakis. Bloomer and Pickersgill crowned the X-Youth's win by winning the doubles over Makrakis and Fisher to make the final outcome of the match 8-2 in the X-Youths favour.
Other Division Two Result: DTH Redland Joggers 7 Manton Sports 3
Division One Results: Worksop Miners Welfare 'A' 5 Manton Misfit 5, DTH Redlands Roosters 9 Ryton Park Eagles 1, Stanley Street 'A' 4 Ryton Park Adders 6