It’s been a lean start to the season for Windsor Eagles, last year’s runners-up in Division One of the Clacton League, but they got their campaign into gear this week with a first win, 7-3 against Walton B.  

John Pattrick’s (pictured above, photo by Roger Hance) maximum for the Windsor side included an excellent win over Gavin Price, whilst there were two for Mel Rampton and one for the Eagles’ long-serving skipper John Hobson. The closest match of the evening was the doubles, Pattrick and Rampton beating Price and Graham Buxton 3-2 (10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-6). Price won two for Walton, including a good win over Rampton.

Windsor Hawks made it three wins out of three with a 9-1 success against a Walton A side who were hampered when Kevin James was forced to concede two of his singles matches through unwellness. Daniel Young and Andy Vincent stayed unbeaten for the Hawks, with both players combining to take an exceptionally tight doubles 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 9-11 15-13) against Colin Dearman and Derek Willis.

It was also 9-1 for Brotherhood A who eased past Walton C, Kevin Gowlett and Gary Young unbeaten, and Russell Hillier winning a couple. Mark Gale took the Walton point with a 3-1 (11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9) victory over Hillier.

Even at this stage of the season, it looked to be a top versus bottom Division Two encounter when Brotherhood D faced Windsor Kestrels and, predictably, it was Brotherhood who came out on top 10-0. Kevin Pryor, Simon Smith-Daye and James Smith-Daye all took trebles. Graham Bunce battled hard for the Kestrels but couldn’t quite get a consolation point, going down 11-4 in the fifth to Simon Smith-Daye and 11-8 in the fifth to James Smith-Daye.

Lawford maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 6-4 win over Walton D. There were a couple each for John Colvin and Richard Spence, and one for Ian Sherwood, with Colvin and Sherwood combining to take the doubles. Andy Foster stayed undefeated for the losers although he had a struggle with Sherwood before eventually winning 3-2 (10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 12-14, 11-6).

Brotherhood B’s torrid start to the season continued when they came up against Nomads Jaguars’ top three, Chris Parr, Daryl Lott and Chris Petrou. All three Nomads’ players stayed unbeaten, although Petrou needed five sets to beat Grant Sharpe, as did Lott against Paul Alden. Sharpe and Barry Allen had the consolation of taking the doubles 3-0 (13-11, 11-2, 12-10) against Parr and Lott.

Nomads Tigers and Brotherhood C are beginning to look like two solid mid-table teams and their clash this week ended in a close-run 6-4 win for the Tigers. Denes Somodi won his three, including a 3-0 (13-11, 11-8, 15-13) win against Mark Boyland, whilst Dave Miller won two tight matches, 11-8 in the decider against Mark Beckham and 11-9 in the decider against Paul Metcalf. Boyland won two for Brotherhood, and Beckham and Metcalf one each.

In Division Three Nomads Leopards were forced to field a guest player in their fixture with Brotherhood E and so will feel pleased to have secured a share of the spoils. The much-improved Dominic Joannou won three and Bob Jillins two, but they failed to take the doubles, Tricia Salter and Rodney Betts winning 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7) to maintain Brotherhood’s unbeaten doubles record.

The old hands of Windsor Harriers proved a little too wily for their Brotherhood F opponents, winning 10-0. But it was not all one-way traffic, Jenny Higgins, in her first appearance of the season, taking her maximum but tested by both Joe Sherwin and JJ Barry, beating Sherwin 3-2 (2-11, 10-12, 14-12, 11-8, 11-8) and Barry 3-2 (8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9).

Brotherhood G were also 10-0 victors, this against Nomads Bobcats. Dan Grindrod, Danny Still and Gary Simpson all stayed undefeated but the Bobcats will feel unfortunate not to have squeezed at least one win, Alex Baldock going down 11-8 in the fifth to Still and Matt Sage losing to Grindrod by the same score.

Finally, in the all-Nomads clash, there were hat-tricks for Dave Wright and Ian Gwillim as the Lynx defeated the Ocelots 7-3. Anne Bonny, Norman Jacobs and Hazel Blanche got a point each for the losers.

RESULTS
Division 1
Walton C 1 Brotherhood A 9
Windsor Eagles 7 Walton B 3
Windsor Hawks 9 Walton A 1

Division 2
Nomads Tigers 6 Brotherhood C 4
Walton D 4 Lawford 6
Brotherhood D 10 Windsor Kestrels 0
Brotherhood B 1 Nomads Jaguars 9

Division 3
Nomads Lynx 7 Nomads Ocelots 3
Windsor Harriers 10 Brotherhood F 0
Brotherhood E 5 Nomads Leopards 5
Brotherhood G 10 Nomads Bobcats 0