Restricted Tournament 23/02/07  The League Restricted Tournament took place on Sunday 11^th February 2007, at  Basingstoke Sports Centre.  Nine clubs were represented, with 6 pairs in the Ladies section, 8 in the Mens and 14 in the Mixed.  The ladies pairs played games to 21 points.  Stephanie and Cheryl Matthews from Loddon/Sherpas (-2) had won in 2003 and 2004 and were favourites to regain the trophy.  They won all their games, ending with 105 points.  The second seeded pair, Janine Fisher and Andrea Farmer, from St. Mary’s (+1) had a good run, only losing to the Matthews sisters 21-14, so finishing on 98 points.  There were several close games with Amanda Marsden and Anu Davies, from BH Pegasus (+3), gaining 90 points and coming third. The final was a play off between Matthews/Matthews and Fisher/Farmer, with the favourites repeating their victory 21-14.

Eight pairs contested the Mens section, playing games to 15 points.  The St. Mary’s pair of Gareth Jones and Andy King (-3) were top seeds.  They won all their games, gaining the maximum 105 points.  Laurence Sutton and Stephen Gaunt from Aldermaston (+5), who have been staunch supporters of Basingstoke tournaments for many years, lost just 7 points, ending Runners-up on 98 points.  Close to this were 3^rd placed Simon Williamson and Ian Shoard from Viking (0) with 93 points, and 4^th placed Mark Payne and David Ord from Hurst (+5) on 91 points.  The final between Jones/King and Sutton/Gaunt was closely contested with many long and taxing rallies.  Jones/King triumphed 15-10 to take the Mens trophy.

In the afternoon 14 pairs took part in the Mixed competition, and were divided into 2 sections.  In section A the top seeds Janine Fisher/Andy King from St. Mary’s (owe a hand -2) had close competition from Amanda Marsden/Martin Hill from BH Pegasus (+2), Hayley McCall/ Andy Hart, also BH Pegasus, (+4), and Linda Rapacioli/ Carlo Rapacioli, from Waverley/Viking (+4).  Fisher/ King gave a talented and spirited performance, but the exertions of the morning proved too much and they lost too many points to go through to the semi finals.  Rapacioli/Rapacioli dropped just 6 points to take the top spot with 84 points.  McCall/Hart were Runners up on 83 points, with Marsden/ Hill third on 82. 

In section B top seeds Andrea Farmer/Gareth Jones (-2) lost 8 points to end second with 82 points, with Lesley Acheson/ Martin Davey from BH Pegasus (+1) close behind on 80 points.  Outsiders Cathryn Perkins/Dan Sheppard from Beechdown (+5) played extremely well, dropping just 2 points to win the section on 88 points.

The semi final between Section A winners Rapacioli/Rapacioli, and Section B Runners up Farmer/Jones was closely fought with one side then the other gaining the ascendancy.  Farmer/Jones edged a win 15-12 after many long rallies.  In the other semi final Section B winners Perkins/Sheppard were always ahead of Section A Runners up McCall/Hart, and won 15-5.  In the final, Farmer/Jones never really got in to their stride and Perkins/ Sheppard played steadily to take the trophy 15-9.

Report by Ruth Cairns

Ladies Matches 23/02/07    Despite a maximum three rubbers from Hayley Kopp/ Cheryl Matthews Beechdown completed a double over LoddonSherpas with a second 5/4 victory, this time at Winchester Road in the Ladies 6 Division.  Liz Firth and Becky Hall scored the loser’s only other point.  Andrea Hill/Ruth Seward and Karen Southwell/Sandra Smith both won two rubbers for the home side supported by one from Sara Deed/Leanne Francis.

Mens Matches 23/02/07   BH Pegasus A improved their position in Division 1 with two successive home victories.   The first was a 7/2 win against Firefly while the second was 6/3 over Viking B.  Martin Davey/David Burrell and David Gough/Prasanth Kumaran both won maxima against Firefly supported by one rubber from Andy Bosworth/Nick Harvey.  Colin Pink/Mick Turrell and Steve Webb/John Weston won a rubber each for Firefly.  Carlo Rapacioli/Stuart Cheng won two of the Viking B rubbers against BH Pegasus A with Simon Williamson/Ian Shoard getting the third.  Martin Davey, this time partnered with David Gough, again kept a clean sheet for his side supported by two rubbers from Andrew Hart/Dale Turpin and one from David Burrell/Nick Harvey in the 6/3 victory. 

A two pair Andover team in Mens Division 2 lost 5/4 to LoddonSherpas A.  Mark Holden/Geoff Lewis won their three rubbers for Andover complimented by one from Ivor Brojek/Steve Trussell.  Richard Burt/Mitchell Hockley and Ian Young/Mark Gentry each won one rubber for the winners. Later a two pair LoddonSherpas A managed a narrow 5/4 victory over Aldermaston at Aldermaston.  Ian Young and Matthew Frost won their three rubbers for the victorious visitors supported by two rubbers from Phil Hood/Mark Gentry.  The sole home rubber was scored by Lawrence Sutton/Steve Gaunt.  BH Pegasus B maintained their narrow lead at the top of the table in beating Andover Sports B 6/3 at Andover.  A fine maximum from Steve Glover/Dale Turpin set up the win complimented by two rubbers from Martin Hill/Andrew Hart and one from Alex Groom/Andrew Bosworth.  BH Pegasus B have a 2 point lead over LoddonSherpas A at the moment with both teams having 4 matches still to play, one of which is against each other and the result of that match may well decide the team to top the table. 

The top two teams in Division 3 were both in action recently.  Beechdown B accounted for Whitchurch with a 7/2 scoreline at Whitchurch with Tim Williams/Bruce Scott getting a maximum supplemented by two rubbers each from Simon Johnson/Lee Chojecki and Chris Meeking/Keith Dawson.  Dave Cooley partnered by Sean Mallard won the two rubbers for the home team.  Second placed BH Pegasus C also had a good win beating visiting Alresford 7/2 at the Sports Centre.  Veera Arunachalam/James Skilton set up the victory by winning their three rubbers with Steve Tribe/Ray Chow and Mark Chapple/Karthik Srinivarshan both getting two rubbers.  Bob Thirkell/Adrian Tyrell won the two consolation rubbers fro Alresford.  Earlier the two teams had met at Alresford with the BH Pegasus side again emerging as winners.  This time the score was 5/4.  Adrian Tyrell/Ben Webb won two rubbers for Alresford while Mark Emmerson/Mark Payne and Mark Webb/Guy Webb supplied one each.  Steve Tribe/Karthik Srinjuasan scored a maximum for BH Pegasus C supplemented by two rubbers from John Franklin/Veera Arunachalam.  Early in January, James Skilton/Steve Tribe, Ray Chow/Veera Arunachalam and Mark Chappell/Karthik Srinivasan were the BH Pegasus C side which defeated LoddonSherpas B 9/0 at John Hunt School.  Loddon Sherpas B later accounted for Alresford with a 5/4 scoreline at the same venue.  Phil Neal/Mark Sykes and Arjun Karnad/Mike Powell both won two rubbers for the winners complimented by one from Paul Bonner/David Hartfield.  Bob Thirkell/Adrian Tyrell scored a maximum three rubbers for Alresford with Ben Webb/Nigel Butcher getting the fourth.

Mixed Matches 23/02/07    In a crucial match played back in mid-January Viking A beat Beechdown A 8/1 at Winchester Road.  Mark Bayliss and Andrea Hill were the only successful home pair, winning the one rubber.  Both James Bevis/Karen Hume and Richard Whatley/Juliet MacAskill recorded maxima for the winners with Scott Wilkins/Alison Crawford getting he other two.   Shaun McDonald/Liz Roberts won two rubbers and Chris Clarke/Pauline Prior won one as did Emerson Cumberbatch/Sue Hartfield when Andover Sports A lost 5/4 to Viking A at Andover in Mixed Division 1.  James Bevis/Karen Hume recorded a maximum for the visitors and Scott Wilkins/Alison Crawford won two rubbers for Viking A.  Viking A currently lead the table by 9 point from St Marys who have two matches in hand  The two teams meet at John Hunt School at the end of the month and much will depend on the outcome. 

A fine maximum from Chris Apsey/Julie Ward supported by two rubbers from Glynn Libberton/Rhian Jenkins and one from Graham Page/Hannah Ward gave Aldermaston A a 6/3 victory over BH Pegasus C in Division 2.  Andrew Hart/Haylie Fox won two of the losing home side’s rubbers with Alex groom/Jenny Skilton securing the third.  Martin Webb/Kate Appleton won two rubbers for Beechdown B when they lost 6/3 to Viking B at John Hunt School.  Mark Bayliss and Cathryn Perkins won the remaining rubber for them. Tony Coombes/Jane Halls won their three rubbers for the victorious home side supplemented by two from Chris Powell/Emma Day and one from Carlo Rapacioli/Ruth Seward. 

Greg Sudell/Alison Rendall, Paul Verling/Carolyn Neale and Matthew Savastand/Nicola Blake comprised the Phoenix A team in Division 3 which beat a visiting two pair Whitchurch side 9/0.  Each of the three Beechdown C pairs, Tim Williams/Clare Taylor, Keith Dawson/Leanne Francis and James Bartlett/Lyn Perini won one rubbers when their side lost 6/3 to Phoenix A at Sherfield School.  Greg Sudell/Alison Rendall and Tim Little/Carolyn Neale won their three rubbers to complete their victory.  Later Beechdown C recovered to defeat Aldermaston B 6/3 at home.  The only change in the team was Nick Jones in place of James Bartlett and each pair won two rubbers.  Neil Hince and sally Jenkins won all their three rubbers for Aldermaston B.  

In Division 4, the fight for the two top places is between the two Andover sides, Andover or Andover Sports B.  Following last week’s meeting between the two sides with the former emerging 6/3 winners they are now only 2 points behind their rivals who have a match in hand.  Alan Dixon/Karen Causley won three rubbers for Andover supported by two from Dave Sneddon/Mo Hudson and one from Steve Trussell/Laura Thomas.  Geriant Griffiths and Sue Hartfield won two of the loser’s rubbers and Chris Clarke/Val Wheeler got he third.  Steve Gaunt/Linda Russell won the two rubbers for Basing Cavaliers in their 7/2 defeat by Waverley B.  John Beattie/Sally Holmes won three rubbers for Waverley B with Robert Jackson/Gill trimmer and Milo Rapacioli/Sandra Jennings getting two each.