{"id":3390,"date":"2024-12-15T21:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-15T20:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.essextabletennis.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=3390"},"modified":"2024-12-15T21:04:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T20:04:45","slug":"no-breeze-for-the-hurricanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.essextabletennis.org.uk\/wordpress\/2024\/12\/15\/no-breeze-for-the-hurricanes\/","title":{"rendered":"No breeze for the Hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lowly Holland Hurricanes of Division Three produced one of the surprises of the week in the Clacton League\u2019s Handicap Cup<\/strong> competition with a 5-4 victory over an experienced and determined Lawford trio.It was no breeze for the Hurricanes in their Group H<\/strong> match who, after leading 2-0, lost the next four matches to fall behind 4-2 to Lawford\u2019s Charlie Denholm, Richard Spence and Ian Sherwood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hurricanes needed to win all three remaining matches to take the tie and, with the same handicap applying to all three matches (Hurricanes +2, Lawford -11), Ian Gwillim defeated Spence, Pam Cousins defeated Sherwood, before Gwillim and Widnell took the final doubles against Denholm and Spence 10-12, 11-2, 11-3 to clinch an unlikely 5-4 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second match in the Group saw reigning Cup-holders Walton B up against 2023 Cup-winners Brotherhood A. Walton took an early 3-0 lead and looked comfortable but Brotherhood\u2019s Kevin Gowlett, John Cleasby and Russell Hillier bounced back to take five hard-fought matches on the trot and the tie 5-3. Two of those wins proved extremely tight, Gowlett and Hillier (-3) taking the middle doubles 12-10 in the fifth against Mark Gale and Paul Meikle (+1), and, in a scratch-match, Cleasby defeating Gale, also 12-10 in the fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, Group A<\/strong> produced two 5-0 results, Brotherhood F defeating Nomads Tigers, none of the matches extended beyond a third set, and Nomads Bobcats beating fellow-Division Three side Holland Vulcans, Alex Baldock\u2019s (-6) 11-5 in the fifth win over James Horsler (+1) the closest match of the encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Harriers lead the way in Group B<\/strong> after their 5-1 success against Brotherhood D. Barry Allen and Isabel Barton (+1) had a vital 11-6 in the decider doubles win over Martin Edwards and Tricia Salter (-3), with Allen (+1) finishing off the tie with an 11-5 in the decider win over Paul Alden (-1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Ocelots and Windsor Penguins benefitted from walk-over wins in Group C<\/strong>, but both Windsor Buzzards and Brotherhood C had to fight hard for their wins in Group D<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an all-Division One all-Windsor clash, the Buzzards were 5-2 victors against the Eagles, the Buzzards losing both doubles but winning five singles, three of which went the distance. Andy Cawley (+2) sealed the deal with an 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6 victory over Gary Cattermole (-8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Captain John Gallagher was Brotherhood C\u2019s only unbeaten player as his Second Division side overcame Third Division Windsor Falcons 5-2, his 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 success against Kelvin Olano the pick of the encounters in a match played off scratch.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another all-Division one clash in Group E<\/strong> ended in a 5-2 victory for Brotherhood B against Walton A, Sam Plummer unbeaten in his one singles and two doubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Walton A side bounced back in their second match, often having to retrieve a twenty-point-plus handicap disadvantage to defeat Third Division Nomads Leopards 5-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a second 5-1 defeat for the Leopards who, earlier in the week, had lost to Division Three Walton D, Nomads\u2019 Mark Taylor and Cieran McCallan (+1) beating Maggie Earle and Adrian Sexton (-8) 11-8, 15-13, 9-11, 5-11, 11-6 in the opening doubles for their side\u2019s only win of the match.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Division Three Brotherhood H had a great scrap with the old hands of Division One Walton C in Group F<\/strong>, ending as narrow 5-4 winners. In a see-saw match, Brotherhood led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3, before Harindu De Silva and Owen Woollard (+1) clinched the tie 6-11, 11-0, 11-6, 11-6 with a doubles win over Graham Buxton and Paul Newbould (-8). Crucially, Brotherhood won all three doubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After losing the first doubles of the match, Paul Hume, Martyn Green and Adam Wilkin of Nomads Lions got their side\u2019s Cup campaign off to a good start in Group G<\/strong> with a confident 5-1 win over potentially difficult opponents Brotherhood E.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in an all-Windsor clash, Division One Hawks were only able to field two players against Division Two Kestrels and so it was little surprise the Kestrels took the tie 5-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Winning teams are reminded they must send the result sheet to Tony Oswick within twenty-four hours of the match being played. Results and tables will be up-dated and can be viewed each Thursday and Sunday during the Cup weeks on both the League\u2019s website (\u2018Knock Out Cup Results\u2019) and Facebook pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The only League match played was a bottom-of-the-table clash in Division Two <\/strong>where Brotherhood G won four of the five matches which went the distance to win 8-2. Danny Still\u2019s treble included an 11-7 in the decider win over John Plummer, while Dan Grindrod\u2019s three included an 11-7 in the decider win against the unfortunate Plummer, as well as an 11-4 in the decider success over Dave Sweetland. Still and Grindrod took the doubles 11-6 in the fifth against Plummer and Sweetland.      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HANDICAP CUP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group A<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood F 5 Nomads Jaguars 0;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Bobcats 5 Holland Vulcans 0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group B<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood D 1 Windsor Harriers 5;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Magpies 5 v Holland Lancasters 0 (w\/o)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group C<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Penguins 5 Nomads Panthers 0 (w\/o);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Ocelots 5 Holland Mosquitos 0 (w\/o).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group D<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brotherhood C 5 Windsor Falcons 2;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windsor Eagles 2 Windsor Buzzards 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group E<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton D 5 Nomads Leopards 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walton A 2 Brotherhood B 5;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomads Leopards 1 Walton A 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report by Tony Oswick<\/p>\n\n\n\n