Lions C take advantage of A side's break to close gap

LEAGUE leaders Lions A retained their position despite not having a match in the latest round of Division One. However, Lions C took the opportunity to narrow the gap at the top when they played against Whistlers C, who had Alice Loveridge reserving for Phil Hunkin.

Steve Brouard, who is having his best season for several years, played his first rubber against Matthew Stubbington, who played well in the first leg and held on to pinch the game 12-10, but then struggled with the Brouard pimples and became more frustrated as the rubber progressed.

Brouard took the next two games 11-6, 11-9 and by the fourth was coasting and wrapped it up 11-2.

Martin Sarre played Loveridge in the next rubber, which went to a deciding fifth leg, in which the more-experienced Sarre held his nerve to win 11-5.

Whistlers got a rubber back through Joel Clancy, whose dogged and deceptive defence resulted in a tight encounter against the raw power of Peter Bretel.

The latter took the first to eight, with Clancy hitting back to win the next two 11-4, 11-8. Bretel clung on to the match, edging the fourth 13-11, setting up a tense final leg, in which Clancy did just enough to win 11-9.

Brouard, though, restored the two-rubber advantage with a straight sets win over Loveridge.

The doubles was a must win for Whistlers and Stubbington and Clancy stormed to a four-set victory to keep the match well alive.

However, Bretel then beat Stubbington in three straight to re-establish the two-rubber lead and, after Sarre had overcome Clancy, Bretel was left to defeat Loveridge in straight sets to wrap up the match.

Brouard then pipped Clancy in the latter's third five-setter of the night and Sarre finished off a fine night for Lions with a straight sets win over Stubbington for an 8-2 result.

In the battle of the B sides, it was Whistlers who had the upper hand.

Dawn Morgan claimed the first rubber against Paul Hainsworth before Phil Ogier levelled the match score by beating Tim Le Page in three straight games despite being taken to deuce in two of them.

Gary Willcocks restored the lead with a narrow five sets win over James Lesbirel, 11-7 in the decider, but Ogier then gained revenge for a loss earlier in the season, beating Morgan in four sets.

Morgan and Willcocks are a strong doubles combination and they proved it, coming back from 2-1 down to beat Ogier and Lesbirel in a decider, and Willcocks established a 4-2 lead, beating Hainsworth in four.

Lesbirel brought Lions back into the match, beating Tim Le Page in straight sets, and Ogier levelled the overall score with a comfortable 3-0 win over Willcocks.

It was left to Morgan and Le Page to beat Lesbirel and Hainsworth respectively to secure the points in a tight 6-4 match.

In the final division one match of the week, Whistlers A beat their D team by the same scoreline.

Mark Pipet won his three for the A team, Adam Langlois claimed two against his brother Ollie and Neil Hastie and teamed up with Pipet to win the doubles.

Graham Lesbirel had a night to forget, losing his three sets. Derek Webb won two for the D team and Ollie Langlois and Hastie one each.