Welfare On The Brink Of Title

Worksop Miners Welfare are potentially just one win away from clinching the Division One title after their latest win against Clowne ‘B’ and if the Welfare side win next week and other results go their way then their lead will be too big and they will not be able to be caught. Their win over Clowne ‘B’ was made that bit easier as Clowne ‘B’ couldn’t field a full side and only turned up with two players which put Welfare 3-0 ahead without a ball being struck. The result was put beyond doubt after wins for Richard Element over Kartik Lakhani, Chris Cattell over Simon Chatterton and Element again, this time over Lakhani. Clowne ‘B’ did have some success as Chatterton beat Mick Bell and then teamed up with Lakhani to take the doubles before Lakhani then also beat Bell to drag the score back to 6-3 and add some respectability to the score. Element ended the proceedings by beating Chatterton but not before having to come back from 9-7 down in the deciding set to win it 11-9 to put the icing on the cake on a 7-3 win.
Both the sides that are chasing the league leaders kept the pressure on them with wins of their own. Sparken Hill Woodpeckers beat their club colleagues Sparken Hill Starlings helped by a Player Of The Match performance from Orestas Riauba after he returned wins over Andy Lee, Jack Kirkland and Mark Fisher who was playing up from Division Three. Orestas was well supported by his brother Martynas who beat both Kirkland and Fisher and by Mitchell Radford who beat Lee and Fisher before losing to Kirkland. Orestas continued his good form by winning the doubles with Radford against Le and Fisher to complete an 8-2 win for the Woodpeckers.
Clowne ‘A’ are still in second place after defeating Worksop Welfare Snipers, a defeat that leaves the Snipers five points adrift at the foot of the Division One table. There were hat-tricks all round for the Clowne trio of Ernest Mpundu, Roy Bows and Steve Lyon against the Snipers team of Ben Swain, Erlands Skels and Jim Westwood. Mpundu and Bowes completed the scoring when they beat Skels and Swain in the doubles.
Division Two Round Up
Sparken Hill Eagles kept the Division Two title race alive with a hard fought and narrow victory over Manton Tigers helped by a John Hallgarth hat trick and one win each for Chris Tilstone and Keith Swift and the doubles to secure a 6-4 win.
Worksop Welfare Harriers ‘A’ remain in mid-table after a 7-3 win over Carlton X-Youth with Simon Hooley registering a hat-trick for the X-Youth side but it wasn’t enough to stop his side slipping to defeat. For the Harriers Andy Vinson, Tony Draycott and Dilip Malkan all won two games each with Draycott and Vinson adding the doubles.
Division Two leaders Clowne ‘C’ maintained their 8 point lead at the top without hitting a ball as their opponents Worksop Welfare ‘B’ conceded the match an hour and a half before it was due to start as they couldn’t get a team out which meant the match was awarded to Clowne ‘C’ 10-0.
Division Three Round Up
Sparken Hill Hawks kept the pressure up on the league leaders with a 10-0 thumping of Sparken Hill Pigeons with hat-tricks for Lewis Linacre, Paul Wendon and Adam Pinches Potter they then followed that up in their second match in a week by beating Worksop Welfare Harriers ‘C’. Hat-tricks again for Pinches and Linacre with Roman Rosser adding a single win plus helping Pinches to win the doubles.
Welfare Harriers ‘C’ also played two games in a week as they caught up with their fixtures and they  managed a 5-5 draw away at Sparken Hill Robins. Two wins each for Graham Stent and Ethan Shevill plus one win for Cliff Briggs secured a share of the spoils.
League leaders Sparken Hill Falcons stayed 6 points ahead at the top by whitewashing Sparken Hill Nightingales with hat-tricks all round for Neil Penny, Luke Barraclough and Mick Potter with Penny and Potter taking the doubles.
Another Sparken Hill side to enjoy the taste of victory this week was The Blue Jays as they came away with a 7-3 victory at Worksop Welfare Real Deal. Ivan Stallworthy did most of the damage for the Blue Jays as he won all his three singles with Dave Lee winning two and Dave Rix chipping in with a single win. Rix and Stallworthy took the doubles to complete the scoring.