DaveR
03-16-2008, 04:50 PM
By Steve Kerns
Devon stole a two point lead on their rivals after turning in a commanding performance in the fifth round of the Senior Premier Division of the County Championships. Berkshire were well beaten 9-1 with Craig Bryant, Chris Brown, Marketa Markova and Sally Smith all turning in unbeaten performances. Sally Smith’s fine 14-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 win over Melanie Farquhar and Chris Brown’s excellent opening game 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8 victory against Martin Adams were obvious Devon highlights.
At the same time as Devon were turning up the heat, Middlesex’s challenge wilted. They found themselves well beaten 9-1 by a rampant Derbyshire side. Darek Zurowski’s three game win over Adam Frost was all Middlesex could muster as Shaun Marples, Sam Perry, Emma Vickers and Jane Vickers ran away with the match. Sam Perry impressed beating both Zurowski 11-7, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8 and Neil Charles 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 whilst Shaun Marples completed his double by getting the better of Tom Cutler 11-7, 11-13, 12-14, 11-7, 12-10.
Essex’s hopes of winning the title were extinguished when they were beaten 7-3 by Sussex. John Holland beat Nigel Eckersley (3-0) and Ritchie Venner (11-9 in the fifth end) but unbeaten performances from Adrian Moore and Rosemary Rainton gave Sussex the edge. Sarah Steadman’s excellent 3-1 victory against Lucy Wang gave Sussex a 5-2 lead and Rosemary Rainton sealed a fine Sussex victory when she beat Sarra Wang 11-4, 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 in the ninth game. Vytas Rybakas could make little headway against Ritchie Venner and succumbed 11-7, 11-8, 11-2.
Gloucestershire gave themselves a great chance of avoiding relegation by beating Leicestershire 7-3. Dave Harvey scored a fine 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 win over Chris Rogers to give Gloucestershire a 5-3 lead and Natasha Hurd sealed an excellent West country victory by getting the better of Karen Smith 11-9, 11-9, 11-5. Keith Fellows impressed for Leicestershire by getting the better of Brian McRandall, good going after taking a first game hammering. Fellows came through to win 3-11, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7. Newcomer Choi Sze Toi came within a whisker of adding another Gloucestershire victory before she just missed out 7-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11 against England no. one Veteran Lady Karen Smith.
Hampshire moved a step closer towards retaining their Junior Premier Division title and they breezed past Essex 10-0. Essex’s top boy Emran Hussain pushed both Garth Kinlocke and David McBeath to five ends but he wasn’t able to break the Hampshire monopoly of this match and Kinlocke, McBeath, Ruihao Zhang, Hannah Hicks and Annabelle Morle ran out comfortable winners.
Lincolnshire stayed in second place by beating Derbyshire 7-3. Lucy Davidson scored a superb 3-2 win over Emily Bates to add to her victory against Dominique Jones but Lincolnshire’s domination of the boy’s matches meant their victory was never in doubt. Stewart Mudie, Paul Johnson and Michael Bates took all six singles and in what is quite an unusual occurrence at this level all six singles were won 3-0.
Sussex’s 6-4 victory over Hertfordshire leaves Hertfordshire with little chance of avoiding relegation. The match followed a fairly simple pattern with Guy Ben-Aroya and Haylee Potts taking the four Hertfordshire games and the Sussex side of Ashley Miles, Stephen Eckford, Stephen Denman, Yolanda King and Chelsea Furnival taking the other six games.
Yorkshire and Devonshire produced the closest clash of the round, and Chris Smith earned Devon a share of the spoils by getting the better of Edward Fambely 3-0 in the last game. Richard Marshall was again undefeated but he had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Mark Johnston 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5. Yorkshire no. two girl Rebecca George (ranked no. 38 nationally) impressed more than England no. 16 Junior Girl Mary Fuller on this occasion, beating both Vicky Smith and Laura McLeod 3-0. Fuller had to graft in her games and she struggled slightly before she came through to beat Laura McLeod 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 and Vicky Smith 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6.
Devon stole a two point lead on their rivals after turning in a commanding performance in the fifth round of the Senior Premier Division of the County Championships. Berkshire were well beaten 9-1 with Craig Bryant, Chris Brown, Marketa Markova and Sally Smith all turning in unbeaten performances. Sally Smith’s fine 14-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 win over Melanie Farquhar and Chris Brown’s excellent opening game 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8 victory against Martin Adams were obvious Devon highlights.
At the same time as Devon were turning up the heat, Middlesex’s challenge wilted. They found themselves well beaten 9-1 by a rampant Derbyshire side. Darek Zurowski’s three game win over Adam Frost was all Middlesex could muster as Shaun Marples, Sam Perry, Emma Vickers and Jane Vickers ran away with the match. Sam Perry impressed beating both Zurowski 11-7, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8 and Neil Charles 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 whilst Shaun Marples completed his double by getting the better of Tom Cutler 11-7, 11-13, 12-14, 11-7, 12-10.
Essex’s hopes of winning the title were extinguished when they were beaten 7-3 by Sussex. John Holland beat Nigel Eckersley (3-0) and Ritchie Venner (11-9 in the fifth end) but unbeaten performances from Adrian Moore and Rosemary Rainton gave Sussex the edge. Sarah Steadman’s excellent 3-1 victory against Lucy Wang gave Sussex a 5-2 lead and Rosemary Rainton sealed a fine Sussex victory when she beat Sarra Wang 11-4, 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 in the ninth game. Vytas Rybakas could make little headway against Ritchie Venner and succumbed 11-7, 11-8, 11-2.
Gloucestershire gave themselves a great chance of avoiding relegation by beating Leicestershire 7-3. Dave Harvey scored a fine 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 win over Chris Rogers to give Gloucestershire a 5-3 lead and Natasha Hurd sealed an excellent West country victory by getting the better of Karen Smith 11-9, 11-9, 11-5. Keith Fellows impressed for Leicestershire by getting the better of Brian McRandall, good going after taking a first game hammering. Fellows came through to win 3-11, 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7. Newcomer Choi Sze Toi came within a whisker of adding another Gloucestershire victory before she just missed out 7-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11 against England no. one Veteran Lady Karen Smith.
Hampshire moved a step closer towards retaining their Junior Premier Division title and they breezed past Essex 10-0. Essex’s top boy Emran Hussain pushed both Garth Kinlocke and David McBeath to five ends but he wasn’t able to break the Hampshire monopoly of this match and Kinlocke, McBeath, Ruihao Zhang, Hannah Hicks and Annabelle Morle ran out comfortable winners.
Lincolnshire stayed in second place by beating Derbyshire 7-3. Lucy Davidson scored a superb 3-2 win over Emily Bates to add to her victory against Dominique Jones but Lincolnshire’s domination of the boy’s matches meant their victory was never in doubt. Stewart Mudie, Paul Johnson and Michael Bates took all six singles and in what is quite an unusual occurrence at this level all six singles were won 3-0.
Sussex’s 6-4 victory over Hertfordshire leaves Hertfordshire with little chance of avoiding relegation. The match followed a fairly simple pattern with Guy Ben-Aroya and Haylee Potts taking the four Hertfordshire games and the Sussex side of Ashley Miles, Stephen Eckford, Stephen Denman, Yolanda King and Chelsea Furnival taking the other six games.
Yorkshire and Devonshire produced the closest clash of the round, and Chris Smith earned Devon a share of the spoils by getting the better of Edward Fambely 3-0 in the last game. Richard Marshall was again undefeated but he had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Mark Johnston 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5. Yorkshire no. two girl Rebecca George (ranked no. 38 nationally) impressed more than England no. 16 Junior Girl Mary Fuller on this occasion, beating both Vicky Smith and Laura McLeod 3-0. Fuller had to graft in her games and she struggled slightly before she came through to beat Laura McLeod 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 and Vicky Smith 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6.