Handicap Cup - Draw and Reports
A fairly comfortable win for the League Champions Hutton "A" in their cup final against Billericay Sports "D". Django Fung (-16) got Hutton off to a great start by defeating Nigel Swanton (-4) but Linda Murray (-7) brought Sports level with an excellent win over Peter Saunders (-11). That unfortunately was all the luck that went Sports way as Ken James (-10) defeated Malcolm Henstock (-3) and then followed up in the final singles by defeating Linda Murray in three 21/12, 9/21, 21/17. The previous singles Fung versus Henstock almost brought a surprise result as having won the first 21/12 Henstock lost the second and then held Fung to 0 - 12 in the third but Fung reeled off 18 points in succession to collect the victory. Final result 5 - 1 to Hutton "A" who are now well in line to complete a hat trick of trophies. Their opponents in the final of the Knock Out Cup Herongate will need to be at their very best to get the better of this Hutton squad, whoever plays.
The Handicap Cup Final will be between Billericay Sports "D" and Hutton "A" and will be played at the Billericay Sports Club at Crays Hill on Tuesday 8th April 2008 commencing at 7.45 pm.
Semi Final in Week Commencing 10th March 2008 - Draw as below
BAE Selex "B" 3 - 5 Billericay Sports "D"
Hutton "A" 5 - 2 Buttsbury "F"
Third Round in Week Commencing 14th January 2008 - Draw as below
Billericay Sports "D" 5 - 2 Buttsbury "E"
Billericay "C" 4 - 5 Hutton "A"
Brentwood "A" 1 - 5 BAE Selex "B"
Brentwood "B" 2 - 5 Buttsbury "F"
Hutton "A" maintained their quest for three trophies by just getting past the winning line 5 - 4 in a thrilling away match with Billericay "C" - Hutton's strong squad are leading the Premier Division, are in the Semi Final of the Premier Knock Out Cup and have now reached the Semi-Final of the Handicap Cup. The result hinged on the eighth singles where Matt Mulley (-9) took on Peter Saunders (-11) with the first end to Saunders 24/22 but with Mulley taking the second end the match hinged on the final third end which saw Saunders just edge out Mulley 22/20 to take the scores to 4 - 4 a win for Mulley would have seen Billericay into the next round . Keith Phillips (-18) made the match secure for Hutton with a two end win over Mark Martin (-11) in the final encounter of the match. Earlier a win for Martin over Saunders and a loss to Ken James (-10), a win for Matt Mulley over James and a loss to Phillips with Paul Mulley (-8) defeating both Saunders and James but losing to Phillips. A reasonably comfortable away win for BAE Selex "B" at Brentwood "A" 5 - 1 where the home team had only the first singles win to show for their efforts - Nikki Kennard (-14) defeating Colin Clements (-10) in three ends. BAE then reeled off the next five singles with wins for Alby Warner (-9) and Chris Aukett (-8) over Phillip Purser (-9) and Graham Harris (+3) - Purser took Aukett to three ends but the remaining singles were all taken in two ends. Brentwood "B" were also in action the same evening - taking on Buttsbury "E" in their match - Bob Garson (-8), Colin Griffiths (-4) and Mary Nicholls (-4) were up against David Ramsey (+3), Duncan Ramsey (+3) and Alan Tofts (+3). Garson got the home side off to a fine start defeating Duncan Ramsey two straight and later Tofts two straight but the away side piled on the pressure to win the remaining five singles to pass into the Semi-Finals. The only encounter that went to a third end saw David Ramsey defeat Nicholls 21/14, 18/21, 21/5. Malcolm Henstock (-3) maintained his 100% record through three rounds with another two victories in a Billericay Sports "D" 5 - 2 win over Buttsbury "E" - of the seven games played six of them went to a third end with a final tally of five going to the home side. Alf Fox (-6) got Sports off to a good start with a win over Sam Gilbert (+3) 21/16, 11/21, 21/14 but Graham Sturton (+2) levelled for Buttsbury by defeating Nigel Swanton (-4) 11/21. 21/11, 21/12 - Henstock (-3) then retrieved the lead for the home side by defeating Paul Sturton (+6) but Gilbert (+3) then defeated Swanton (-4) two straight to bring the score to 2 - 2. It was the turn of Fox (-6) versus Paul Sturton (+6) and the writing was on the wall for the home player when losing the first end 10/21 and falling 15/19 behind in the second - but a late rally saw Fox claim the next six points for a 21/19 win and he followed up by taking the third 21/17. The fourth win came via a Henstock victory over Graham Sturton 10/21, 21/19, 21/15 and the result was confirmed with a yet another three end win, this one for Swanton (-4) against Paul Sturton (+6) 14/21, 23/21, 23/21 - seemingly out of the contest in the second Swanton held his composure to take the second from deuce and the result was still in doubt even though Swanton led 20/18 in the third - somehow letting his opponent back in to level at deuce and going one down at 20/21 the next two points were fairly long rallies with no player wishing to make a mistake but the two points came the way of Swanton to record an excellent victory and seal the match.
Second Round in Week Commencing 12th November 2007 - Draw as below
BAE Selex "B" 5 - 2 Hutton "B"
Billericay Sports "D" 5 - 0 Mountnessing "D"
Billericay "A" 5 - 0 Billericay "C"
Billericay "B" 3 - 5 Brentwood "A"
Buttsbury "E" 5 - 4 Brentwood Hard "A"
Buttsbury "F" 5 - 2 Brentwood Hard "B"
Hutton "A" 5 - 3 Mountnessing "A"
Hutton "C" Selo 0 - 5 Brentwood "B"
Brentwood "B" - Bob Garson (-8), Brian Steward (-5) and Stan Kenner (-3) defeated a Hutton "C" Selo team of Wally Sale (+2), Mike Newman (+4) and Joan Cook (+6) in a match that saw Brentwood victorious in the first five singles - the match was played to a finish but with little success for the home side - result 5 - 0 to Brentwood "B" BAE Selex "A" are on course for a League and Cup Double and in their home handicap cup match against Hutton "B" they needed seven of the games to secure a 5 - 2 victory - Chris Aukett (-8), Alan Wood (-4) and Alby Warner (-9) proved just a shade too strong for Norman Feakins (+4), Mike Pratley (_1) and Roy Barnes (-3) with both Pratley and Barnes defeating Warner to record Hutton's two points. Hutton "A" also looking for a League and Cup double were 5 - 3 home winners over Mountnessing "A" - at 3 - 3 it looked as if the match could swing either way but Django Fung (-16) defeated Gordon Gatheral (-8) 21/15, 19/21, 21/19 followed by Peter Saunders (-11) defeating Dave Finlayson(-10) also in three ends 21/13, 17/21, 21/19 to give Hutton victory by 5 - 3 - Hamish Innes (-12) had won his first two singles over Fung and Saunders with Gatheral beating Saunders - Hutton's third player Keith Phillips (-18) had played his part by winning his first two singles and at one stage it looked as if he might be required to take on Innes in the final singles but the final game was not needed. T^he young Buttsbury "E" trio of Graham Sturton (+2), Sam Gilbert (+3) and Paul Sturton (+6) found the going extremely hard against Brentwood Hard "A" who had Martin Winter (-4), Greg Cooper (-3) and Nick Wright (+1) in their line-up. At the onset Cooper defeated Graham Sturton to give the visitors the lead but Paul Sturton levelled against Winter in three and later defeated Cooper in two - but while Brentwood's number one failed to score - his colleague Wright kept the tennis club in the match with three excellent victories setting the match up for a super finale which saw Graham Sturton (+2) defeat Martin Winter (-4) in two ends to put Buttsbury through to the next round 5 - 4. The Billericay Sports "D" team gained a 5 - 0 home win over their visitors Mountnessing "D" - Alf Fox (-6) defeated Bruno Handel (+2) in the first singles followed by three end wins for Malcolm Henstock (+3) over John Hickey (+1) and Linda Murray (+7) over Len Jupe (+2) - success came nearer for Sports "D" with Handel retiring after losing the first end against Henstock and the match was completed when Fox defeated Jupe in three.Buttsbury "F" had to force their way back into their match with Brentwood Hard "B" after losing the first two ties - Duncan Ramsey (+3) lost to Paul Draper (+2) in three ends 21/12, 20/22, 19/21 followed by defeat for Alan Tofts (+3) against John Barnes in two but here the resistance ended as David Ramsey (+3) defeated Len Nicholas (+10), Tofts got the better of Draper and Nicholas and Duncan and David Ramsey defeated Nicholas and Barnes to give NButtsbury a satisfactory 5 - 2 home win. An all Premier Division match saw Billericay "B" two player team of John Webber (-13) and Keith Cullen (-4) unable to contain the handicap of giving three wins to the opposition before the match even started. On a positive note Billericay began with Webber (-13) defeating Trevor Carter (-13) in two with Cullen following up by defeating Paul Cuming (-15) also in two - Cullen then lost to Carter in three 21/8, 15/21, 16/21 but Webber kept Billericay in the hunt by defeating Philip Purser (-9) in three ends - the match was effectively over when Webber lost to Cuming in five ends and the visitors ran out 5 - 3 victors.
