Shipston go level with Shutford in second spot
Shipston drew level with Shutford B in second place in Division 2 after defeating them 7-3. Nicholas Morgan led the way, winning all of his singles as well as the doubles with Tadge Sabatowski.
Sabatowski added a point from his singles and Chris Dickens added a further two wins. Nicholas Walker, Derek Oxley and Mike Starkie scored a win apiece in the singles for Shutford, with Starkie going close to scoring a second point in his five-set battle with Morgan.
Bodicote D, who did not play this week, lead the Division by five points. At the foot of the table Bloxham B scored their first points of the season in a 4-6 loss to Bodicote E. Martin Bird was the star player for Bodicote, undefeated in his singles and winning the doubles with Janice Rowan. Nicholas Solway added two points for Bodicote. Albert Balazs scored two victories for Bloxham and there was a win each for Ivan Ocana and Sever Bazavan.
Fritwell A took advantage of a depleted Tadmarton B side to end up 6-4 winners. Darren Anderson impressed for Fritwell with three wins including edging a five-set victory over one of the Division’s top players, Paul Waller. Waller however did win his other two singles and won the doubles comfortably with Mick Hawkins. Hawkins added a point from his singles matches. At two sets to one up in the final match of the evening Hawkins looked like adding second point for Tadmarton to draw the teams level, but on David Bignell fought back to win the final two sets and see out overall victory for Fritwell.
In Division three there were starkly contrasting outcomes for Bloxham C and D.
Bloxham C trounced Fritwell B 10-0. Malcolm Charles, Dawn Jackson and Jim Jackson were unbeaten in their singles. Josh Challinor came closest to gaining a point for Fritwell, pushing Jim Jackson to a fifth-set decider; not even playing Ian Critchley in the doubles was enough to score a win for Fritwell as Richard Anstis and Malcom Charles came through in four sets. Bloxham D went down 1-9 against a strong Millennium C side. Wil Heynes was player of the match, with Bob Clarke adding two wins and Ed Harris a further win. Bob Dunkin scored a consolation point for Bloxham and was unlucky to lose both of his other singles matches in deciding fifth sets. Millennium C are now in second place, with a game in hand.
Bodicote B overcame Bloxham A in the sole Division 1 fixture this week. Roald Myers was player of the match, with Dom Barker also taking three wins in his singles. Myers and Barker however lost out in a closely fought doubles against Neil Hodson and Ricky Giblin, going down 9-11 in the fifth set. Hodson and Giblin also added a point each for Bloxham in the singles, while Jason Crocker, playing up from his normal Division 2 team for Bodicote, also won one of his singles.