By Stuart O’Dell
St John’s Chapel Blue Bell V Stanhope Club (B)
St John’s Chapel Blue Bell welcomed Stanhope Club (B) for their evening fixture in what proved to be a closely contested encounter.
The home side got off to a positive start, with Simon Jones claiming the opening point. However, the visitors quickly responded, levelling the score before taking the lead with victories from brothers Ethan and Finlay Coates. Colin Hodgson brought the home side back on level terms, only for Ethan Pevler to restore the visitors’ advantage. Peter Liddle then secured the final singles point for the home side to leave the scores level heading into the doubles.
With everything still to play for, the doubles games proved decisive. St John’s Chapel Blue Bell rose to the occasion, winning all three games to secure an impressive 6–3 victory after a tightly fought contest.
Stanhope Grey Bull (A) V Wolsingham Black Lion
League leaders Stanhope Grey Bull (A) welcomed Wolsingham Black Lion and made an excellent start, taking control of the match by winning the opening three singles games. Paul Heppel, Steve Sewell, and John Anderson all secured victories to give the home side an early advantage.
Doug Mill got the visitors on the scoreboard, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly halted as Danny Thexton and Steve Sewell claimed the remaining singles points, giving Stanhope Grey Bull an unassailable 5–1 lead.
With the match already decided heading into the doubles, Wolsingham Black Lion looked to reduce the winning margin. The visitors responded well, claiming two of the three doubles games. However, it was the league leaders who took the overall honours with a convincing 6–3 victory.
Stanhope Curious Grouse V Stanhope Grey Bull (B)
Stanhope Grey Bull (B) produced a dominant performance away at Stanhope Curious Grouse, delivering a flawless display throughout the singles matches.
The visitors got off to a flying start, with Rob Graham, Richard James and Julie Scott winning their opening games. The momentum continued as Chris Henderson, David Sheppard and Jack Tinkler all secured victories to complete a clean sweep of the singles and establish a commanding 6–0 lead.
The Curious Grouse managed to claim the opening doubles game in an attempt to restore some pride, but Stanhope Grey Bull (B) responded by winning the remaining two doubles games.
An excellent all-round team performance saw the visitors secure a comprehensive 8–1 victory.
Stanhope Club (A) V Stanhope Pack Horse
Stanhope Club (A) enjoyed a strong evening at home against Stanhope Pack Horse, taking control of the fixture from the outset.
Adam Dobson and Alan Barker got the home side off to a winning start before Paul Dobson, Frank Stephenson and Stu O’Dell extended their advantage with further singles victories. Adam Robinson then completed a clean sweep of the singles matches, leaving Stanhope Club (A) with a commanding 6–0 lead heading into the doubles.
With the singles already decided, Stanhope Pack Horse turned their attention to the remaining three games and managed to claim two of them, preventing a complete whitewash.
However, the home side had already done enough to secure the overall victory, finishing the evening as convincing 7–2 winners.
