Nomads Lions set out their stall in the first week of the season in Division One of the Clacton League with a convincing 10-0 win over Walton A. There were hat-tricks for Paul Hume, Adam Cuthbert and Ethan Lloyd. The tightest match of the contest saw Cuthbert narrowly get the better of Mark Gale 13-11 in the fifth in the first match of the evening.

Reigning champions Nomads Panthers were 8-2 victors against    Brotherhood B, Greg Green starting as he finished last season with an unbeaten three. John Hatley and Denes Somodi each won two but both lost to Brotherhood’s new signing Patrick Cheung.

Kevin Gowlett and Daniel Young led the way with undefeated performances for Brotherhood A in their side’s 8-2 success over Windsor Hawks. The Hawks will, nevertheless, feel pleased to have sprung a couple of surprises, Andy Vincent and reserve Kelvin Olano-Harper taking the doubles in four against Young and Gracie Edwards, and Vincent taking match ten with an excellent 11-6 in the decider win over Edwards.

But there was an exact reverse of fortune for the Windsor and Brotherhood clubs in another fixture, the Eagles beating Brotherhood C by the same 8-2 score-line. Gavin Price, on debut for Windsor, and John Pattrick took trebles, although Pattrick had tough matches with both Dave Miller and Graham Playle, winning 11-7 in the fifth and 11-5 in the fifth respectively.

Walton B’s Graham Buxton remained unbeaten in his side’s match with promoted Windsor Buzzards but the Buzzards, determined to defy pre-season predictions of an early return to the Second Division, emerged unexpected 6-4 winners. There were two each for Dave Martin and Andy Cawley, one for Andy Foster, with Cawley and Foster combining to take a crucial doubles. Almost uniquely, all ten matches played were settled in four sets.

In Division Two, last year’s runners-up, Brotherhood G, were given a stern test by promoted Brotherhood J but finally emerged 7-3 victors. Mark Boyland took three, John Gallagher two – including a win over daughter Ruby in their first-ever League meeting – and Mark Beckham one, with Boyland and Gallagher winning the doubles. Joe Sherwin picked up a couple for the ‘J’ team and Ruby Gallagher one, while Tom Bryden only just failed to get on the score-sheet, going down 11-9 in the fifth to John Gallagher.

Every player picked up at least one point in the drawn match between Windsor Harriers and Lawford, the two teams sharing the four matches which went the distance. Windsor’s Barry Allen was the unbeaten star of the show, the closest of his three wins a 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 11-6 victory over Ian Sherwood. Charlie Denholm won a couple for Lawford and, with Sherwood, took a vital 11-7 in the fifth doubles against Allen and Isabel Barton.

Four matches also went to five in the Brotherhood D v Windsor Penguins fixture and, again, each side took two. But despite a treble from Windsor’s Kelvin Olano-Harper, Brotherhood took the honours 6-4. Fred Gallone and Kevin Pryor each won two for Brotherhood, while Lily Liu edged out Paul Stanton by a nail-biting 11-8, 10-12, 13-15, 11-9, 12-10.  

Brotherhood F defeated Nomads Tigers 7-3 thanks to a Paul Alden maximum, two from Mark Salter and one from Tricia Salter. All three Tigers’ points came from matches which went the distance, Tom Wilkin overcoming both Mark Salter and Tricia Salter 11-8 in the fifth, and Matt Sage defeating Tricia Salter by the same score.

Bob Jillins and newcomer Andy Hart remained unbeaten as Nomads Jaguars beat Windsor Kestrels 8-2. For the Jaguars, Jonathan Found had a good individual win over Chris Petrou, with Found, together with Graham Bunce who only played in the doubles, taking the second Kestrels’ point against Jillins and Petrou, 11-7 in the decider.  

In Division Three, Brotherhood H started their season in fine style with a 10-0 victory over Holland Lancasters, Owen Woollard, Danny Still and Gary Simpson all unbeaten. But the Lancasters didn’t go down without a fight, newcomer Peter Evans losing 11-6 in the fifth to Still, Dave Wright going down by an even closer 12-10 in the fifth to Woollard, while Evans and Wright were pipped 11-8 in the fifth in the doubles by Still and Simpson.

Three for John Plummer, two for Alan Rutledge and one for Dave Sweetland saw Windsor Magpies home 7-3 against Holland Hurricanes. Gerry Widnell won a couple for the Hurricanes and Ian Gwillim one, Gwillim narrowly losing 11-5, 9-11, 12-10, 12-10, 5-11 to Rutledge. 

Brotherhood E defeated a two-player Nomads Ocelots 6-4 but the returning Mike Wellum showed all his old class to stay undefeated for the Ocelots.  

Holland Vulcans defied the pundits’ pre-season pessimistic predictions with a fighting 6-4 victory in a highly-competitive encounter against Windsor Falcons. Bob Keefe, on League debut, won three for the Vulcans and Derek Foxley two. For the Falcons, there were a couple for Matt Thomas who did well to edge out Foxley 11-9 in the decider, while debutant Gary Barnes beat James Horsler 11-7 in the decider, and Nigel Rolph defeated the same player 11-6 in the fifth.

* The Nomads Pig Race Night takes place on Saturday 25th October at the Brotherhood Hall. For more details, contact either John Hatley on 07777 657495 or Gill Locke on 07765 405563.

RESULTS

Division 1

Windsor Buzzards 6 Walton B 4;

Windsor Hawks 2 Brotherhood A 8;

Walton A 0 Nomads Lions 10;

Brotherhood C 2 Windsor Eagles 8;

Nomads Panthers 8 Brotherhood B 2.

Division 2

Brotherhood J 3 Brotherhood G 7;

Windsor Harriers 5 Lawford 5;

Nomads Jaguars 8 Windsor Kestrels 2;

Brotherhood D 6 Windsor Penguins 4;

Nomads Tigers 3 Brotherhood F 7.

Division 3

Windsor Falcons 4 Holland Vulcans 6;

Brotherhood H 10 Holland Lancasters 0;

Brotherhood E 6 Nomads Ocelots 4;

Holland Hurricanes 3 Windsor Magpies 7.

Report by Tony Oswick