In Division 2 of the Southend League the top of the table clash between leaders Stanford B and second placed Matchpoint B, both unbeaten, failed to live up to expectations this week. Matchpoint could only field two players and it was left to teenagers Max Mayo and Lotte Mills to take on the very experienced Stanford team of Rob Salvage, Russell Bright and Adrian Armstrong. The result was a comprehensive 9-0 win for Stanford who now sit eleven points clear of their rivals and have a game in hand. Favourites beforehand to get promotion they are now clear favourites to win the league outright.

With third placed Canvey B without a game Hockley B moved level with them on points after an 8-1 victory against Invicta B. Mike Worship and Paul Ogden both recorded maximums and there was a brace for Paul Strutt whilst Steve Lennox grabbed the consolation point for Invicta. Just two games went the distance on the night Lennox’s win finishing 11/9 in the decider whilst Ogden got the better of Mike Keeble winning 11/8 in the fifth after Keeble had battled back from 2-0 down. Invicta stay sixth in the table.

Bottom of the table Matchpoint C sprang the surprise of the week with a last ditch 5-4 win against Rawreth Megazone D. Player of the match was Rawreth’s Richard Kidd who was unbeaten on the night albeit he was pushed all the way by Roger Sherman before edging home 4/11 14/12 11/6 10/12 14/12. Sherman however went on to win his other two games and he was supported by Alwine Jarvis who picked up her first two wins of the season. With the scores level at 4-4 it was down to the final game of the evening and captain Ollie Milchard overcame the disappointment of losing his other two games by defeating Steve McQuillan in four sets. Jaspreet Singh had got Rawreth’s other point by beating Milchard in another five set marathon, coming from two sets down to win the decider 13/11. Teenager William Evesham was the star of Hockley D’s 6-3 away win at Runnymede. He won all his games as Hockley recorded only their second win of the season and that included a marathon five set match against Tina Hutchinson where he fought back from a two set deficit before clinching the game 11/8 in the decider. Hockley actually lost the first two games of the evening before rattling off six games on the trot. Last game of the evening saw Hutchinson engaged in another five set match against John George and was again pegged back from a two set lead before, this time, winning the decider 12/10. That gave her two wins on the night with Steve Wisbey adding the other point also beating George. For Hockley Ben Cook recorded a brace with George getting the other point.