Ruby Gallagher and Lucy Carvell were the stars of the show for Brotherhood F in their side’s 8-2 win this week against Nomads Ocelots in Division Three of the Clacton League, the two talented 14-year-olds displaying a deal of determination along with their undoubted talent, and both recording fine hat-tricks.

In a tight match, Brotherhood won four of the five matches which went the distance, Carvell (pictured above, picture by Roger Hance) defeating Hazel Blanche in five and getting past Arthur Wells-Garrett 11-6 in the decider, while Gallagher defeated Wells-Garrett 11-7 in the decider in the final match of the evening.

However, the closest encounter, as is often the case, was the doubles, where Carvell, partnered with JJ Barry, edged past Wells-Garrett and Blanche 3-2 (11-4, 11-8, 14-16, 11-13, 13-11).

Wells-Garrett and Blanche picked up a point each for the Ocelots.

Another promising young player, Dan Grindrod, was Brotherhood G’s unbeaten hero in his side’s drawn match with Windsor Magpies. Gary Simpson and Dan Still took one each. There were a couple apiece for Windsor’s Dave Sweetland and Alan Rutledge, the pair sharing a crucial doubles, beating Grindrod and Still 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9).

Relegated Windsor Harriers’ first match at this level saw them emerge with an 8-2 win over Nomads Leopards. But the scoreline concealed a much closer match, the Harriers scraping past in all four matches which went the distance.

Isabel Barton beat Stu Wilson 11-6 in the decider and Bob Jillins 11-9 in the decider, whilst Ferdy Rodriguez, who also won twice, had another tight tussle against Jillins before winning 3-2 (14-12, 10-12, 11-5, 13-15, 11-7). Dominic Joannou took the two Leopards’ points.

A strong Brotherhood E side, Duncan Dunne, Fred Gallone and Tricia Salter, proved too good for a Walton E side who were forced to use a guest player, winning 10-0. But Walton came close to snatching a point, Gallone and Salter taking a close doubles 12-10 in the fifth against Lynette Sparks and Adrian Sexton.

The all-Nomads clash between the Bobcats and the Lynx ended in a 6-4 win for the Bobcats. Mike Vilka returned to League action with a treble, Alex Baldock took two and Jack Riddleston one. Lynx captain Dave Wright won two while Gerry Widnell picked up a debut League win with a 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 13-15, 13-11) success against Riddleston.

Brotherhood A got their Division One season under way with a 9-1 win against Windsor Buzzards, Kevin Gowlett and Russell Hillier taking trebles and John Cleasby a couple. Dave Martin ensured there was no Buzzards’ whitewash by exacting victory over Cleasby in the last match of the evening, a hard-fought 11-9 in the fifth.

Nomads Lions chalked up their second win of the season, and Adam Cuthbert his second hat-trick, as they defeated Walton A 7-3. Jason Lloyd’s two for the Lions included a last gasp 11-9 in the fifth win over Colin Dearman, while Adam Wilkin won one and shared an 11-4 in the decider doubles victory with Cuthbert over Dearman and Derek Willis. Former Men’s champion David Binns, making only his fifth appearance in the last eight seasons, took two for Walton.

In Division Two Andy Foster recorded a hat-trick as Walton D, last season’s runners-up, defeated Nomads Jaguars 6-4. Tigers’ captain Chris Petrou and Kevin Hogg, in his first Clacton League match for almost twenty years, both won two for the losers. The crucial match proved to be the first of the evening, Foster edging out Petrou 11-8 in the decider.

Walton followed this with an 8-2 success against Windsor Kestrels, Foster again unbeaten, with Paul Woolnough and Mo Hardy winning two each. Foster and Hardy took a close doubles 11-9 in the fifth against Allen Denyer and Peter Aumord. Graham Bunce was the Kestrels’ points-scorer.

Brotherhood D continued their promising start with a 7-3 victory over Nomads Tigers, Simon Smith-Daye, James Smith-Daye and Kevin Pryor all winning two. But none of them could get the better of Tigers’ new signing Denes Somodi who recorded an impressive treble.

Finally, promoted Windsor Penguins showed they’ll be no pushover at this level, sharing the spoils with Lawford. Neil Chegwidden remained unbeaten and Scott Campbell won two, Campbell denied his hat-trick by John Colvin who took their individual encounter 11-6 in the fifth. Colvin won two for Lawford, with Ian Sherwood and Charlie Denholm winning one each.

RESULTS
Division 1
Windsor Buzzards 1 Brotherhood A 9
Nomads Lions 7 Walton A 3
Division 2
Nomads Jaguars 4 Walton D 6
Lawford 5 Windsor Penguins 5
Walton D 8 Windsor Kestrels 2
Brotherhood D 7 Nomads Tigers 3
Division 3
Windsor Harriers 8 Nomads Leopards 2
Brotherhood G 5 Windsor Magpies 5
Nomads Ocelots 2 Brotherhood F 8
Walton E 0 Brotherhood E 10
Nomads Lynx 4 Nomads Bobcats 6