There’s little to choose between Nomads Tigers and Nomads Jaguars in Division Two of the Clacton League but, when the teams met this week, Dave Miller’s hat-trick proved the difference between the two sides.

But it was a hard-fought treble for Tigers’ skipper Miller in his side’s 6-4 victory, his maximum including an 11-6 in the fifth win over Callum Hogg and an 11-8 in the fifth win over Tom Wilkin. For the Jaguars, there were two each for Wilkin and Chris Petrou.

The win for the Tigers moves them into third place, one point ahead of Brotherhood D who went down 8-2 to leaders Windsor Buzzards. Pete Bloomfield was on-song for the Buzzards, his treble including an 11-9 in the decider win over Paul Alden and an 11-8 in the fifth win against Mark Salter. There were also two each for Andy Cawley and Scott Campbell, Campbell defeating Alden 11-7 in the fifth but losing by the same score to Mark Salter. Salter won Brotherhood’s two points.

Brotherhood C are seven points clear in second place following their 7-3 victory against Windsor Kestrels, Mark Boyland and Paul Metcalf unbeaten. Metcalf scraped past Graham Bunce 12-10 in the decider.

Windsor Harriers were 6-4 victors against Brotherhood E, Jenny Higgins picking up a decisive win for the Harriers against Tony Edmonds but losing out 11-7 in the fifth to Rodney Betts.

Gary Simpson and Dan Grindrod were the hat-trick men for Brotherhood G, 9-1 victors in their basement battle with Windsor Magpies. Three matches ended 11-7 in the fifth, Simpson beating John Plummer, Grindrod edging out Dave Sweetland, with Plummer salvaging a point for the Magpies, 11-7 in the fifth, in the last match of the evening against Danny Still.

In Division Three, leaders Brotherhood F beat Holland Hurricanes 6-4, Lucy Carvell, Joe Sherwin and Tom Bryden each winning two. Hurricanes’ new signing, the returning Gary Stallwood, was given a tougher time than he might have expected, staying unbeaten but only after edging past Sherwin by the narrowest of margins, 11-9 in the fifth.

Lynette Sparks and Adrian Sexton took two each as Walton D defeated Windsor Falcons 6-4. Kelvin Olano-Harper once again stayed unbeaten for the Falcons, with Matt Thomas winning one but losing in five to Sexton in the only match which went the distance.

Three for Dave Wright, two for Pam Cousins and one for Grace Andrews were sufficient to give Hollands Lancasters a 7-3 victory over club-mates Holland Vulcans. James Horsler took two for the Vulcans, one of which was a fine 11-6 in the decider win over Cousins.

The all-Nomads clash between the Leopards and an Ocelots’ side playing with a guest ended 8-2 in favour of the Leopards. Hazel Blanche of the Leopards defeated Mark Taylor 11-6 in the fifth in the closest encounter.

The big match in Division One was another all-Nomads affair which saw the Panthers get the better of the Lions 6-4. Gracie Edwards chalked up another treble, with Gill Locke getting two and Denes Somodi one. For the Lions, Adam Cuthbert won two, but lost his season’s 100% record. Adam Wilkin’s point for the Lions proved to be a cliff-hanger, winning 17-15 in the fifth against Somodi, whilst Cuthbert and Jason Lloyd inflicted a rare doubles defeat on a Panthers’ pairing, beating Edwards and Somodi in four.

Brotherhood A defeated Walton A 9-1, Russell Hillier and Kevin Gowlett taking trebles, the pair also combining to record Brotherhood’s second doubles success of the season. Derek Willis’ win against John Cleasby was Walton’s consolation point.

In an all-Windsor clash, the Eagles beat the Hawks 7-3, a reverse of their early season score. Gary Cattermole won three, John Pattrick two and Phil Smith one. Pattrick was involved in two close matches, edging out Hawks’ reserve Scott Campbell 11-9 in the fifth but going down 12-10 in the fifth to Andy Vincent. For the Hawks, Vincent won two, with Campbell enjoying a narrow 13-11 in the fifth victory over Smith.

Brotherhood B defeated Walton C 7-3, Joe Plummer and Simon Smith-Daye undefeated, Plummer edging past Graham Buxton 11-8 in the fifth.

Finally, Mark Gale, Mark Ratcliffe and Paul Meikle of Walton B proved too good for Lawford, winning 10-0. Two matches went the distance, Meikle beating Charlie Denholm 11-7 in the decider, with the Gale/Ratcliffe partnership taking the doubles 11-6 in the decider against Denholm and Ian Sherwood.  

RESULTS
Division 1
Walton A 1 Brotherhood A 9
Windsor Hawks 3 Windsor Eagles 7
Walton B 10 Lawford 0
Nomads Panthers 6 Nomads Lions 4
Brotherhood B 7 Walton C 3
Division 2
Windsor Harriers 6 Brotherhood E 4
Windsor Magpies 1 Brotherhood G 9
Nomads Jaguars 4 Nomads Tigers 6
Brotherhood D 2 Windsor Buzzards 8
Brotherhood C 7 Windsor Kestrels 3
Division 3
Windsor Falcons 4 Walton D 6
Nomads Ocelots 2 Nomads Leopards 8
Holland Hurricanes 4 Brotherhood F 6
Holland Vulcans 3 Holland Lancasters 7