Roosters On A Roll

DTH Redlands Roosters continued their relentless charge towards the Division One title with their 8th straight league win in a row but they didn't have things all their own way in their latest victory. The Roosters Captain Rick Harris had to play a player up from Division Two with Orestas Riauba joining Harris and Clive Mitchell to maintain the Roosters unbeaten start to the season in the league but they can count themselves a little fortunate that their opponents Worksop Welfare 'A' had to do the same and were also without last season's Open Singles Champion Richard Element. Harris performed the Captain's role by beating all three of Welfare's players in Stuart Element, Dave Marsh and Ken Alvey who was playing up from Division Two and he was well supported by Mitchell who lost out to Element but beat both Marsh and Alvey with Riauba adding a solo win over Alvey. Harris and Riauba were chosen to play the doubles but lost out to Element and Marsh in 5 sets but still went home with a narrow 6-4 victory but more importantly all 3 points which keeps them 2 points ahead of their nearest rivals with a game in hand.
The Roosters nearest rivals are club colleagues Fluffy Toys who have won the title for the last six years and will not give up their title without a fight and this week gave Stanley Street 'A' a 10-0 thumping although the match was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests with only two of the games being won in straight sets. There were hat tricks all round for Steve Walker, Mick Brooks and Steve Johnson against the Street side of Alex Millward, Matt Williams and Pete Eyre with Johnson and Walker adding the doubles set against Millward and Williams to complete the whitewash.
Another side who enjoyed a 10-0 win this week were Manton Misfits where the scoreline did reflect the match with only one of the games not being won in straight sets. Their hapless opponents were Ryton Park Adders who find themselves rooted firmly to the bottom of the table without a league win so far and in need of some divine intervention if they are to haul themselves out of trouble. For the Misfits Steve Lyon, Kerry Harvey and Kalpesh Bhatt took no time at all to dispatch the Adders team of Ivan Guilliatt, James Wormwell and Mark Fisher and there was to be no let up in the doubles as Harvey and Bhatt defeated Wormwell and Fisher in straight sets to compound the Adders misery.
The Adders club colleagues Ryton Park Eagles who are also entrenched in a relegation battle were also away at a Manton team this week in Manton Nomads and although the match was much closer they also found themselves going home without a point to show for their efforts. Sarah Short led the way for the Nomads beating all three of the Eagles players in Brian Allen, Helmuth Osborne and John Hallgarth and her hat trick set the Nomads on their way to an 8-2 victory and more importantly to put some more daylight between themselves and the two Ryton Park sides. Both Kieran Alvey and Ian Henderson added two wins each for the Nomads, both losing to Osborne with Henderson and Short coming together to beat Allen and Osborne in the doubles.
In Division Three DTH Redlands Rookies are nailed on favourites to win the Division and the bookies would have stopped taking bets a few weeks ago on them being crowned Division Three Champions in April next year! The Rookies Captain and Mr 100% Derek Piper continued his great start to season and after their latest win his record now reads Played 21 Won 21 and it will take a good performance to take his unbeaten record away from him. In their match with promotion chasing Ryton Park Cougars Piper's team mates Chris Cutts and Chris Clemson also registered hat tricks with Cutts and Clemson winning the doubles to cap an impressive 10-0 win over the Cougars side of Ivan Stallworthy, Connor Bettley and Harvey Renshaw.
The Cougars who were catching up on their fixtures enjoyed better fortune in their match against Stanley Street 'E' with Ivan Stallworthy and Dave Lee both remaining unbeaten on the night with Connor Bettley adding two wins but losing out to Jasper Turner in a 9-1 win. Bettley then teamed up with Harvey Renshaw to win the doubles.
Division Two Results : DTH Redlands Joggers 6 Manton Tigers 4, Worksop Miners Welfare 'B' 6 DTH Redlands X-Youth 4, Stanley Street 'B' 9 Stanley Street Cypriots 1