Belters extend lead after Express victory (From Malvern Gazette)

Belters extend lead after Express victory

11:30am Sunday 4th December 2011 in Sport

BROADHEATH Belters remain three points clear at the top of PaperStation Malvern League Division One following an 8-2 win over Manor Park Express.

Michael Siket and Sasha Grokhotov were both unbeaten in their singles and together in the doubles matches, while John Stalker won their other set.

In second place are CSSC Ramblers who beat Pterodactyl Old Boys 7-3. Chris Hewitt, Alan Salisbury and also Graham Thompson all won twice, with Hewitt and Thompson also taking the doubles.

For Old Boys, Wayne Chopping won his three singles, while Graham Collier took an under-par Salisbury to five games, losing 11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 7-11.

Manor Park Cavaliers secured their fourth win of the season as they beat Ledbury Lions 8-2 in a match where three sets went to five and another four sets to four games. Mike Keeley and Trevor Simmons both won their three singles, while Matt Hodges claimed his third win of the season as he beat Mike Morgan.

For Lions, their point came courtesy of Jim Ahern and Steve Meredith who claimed a double and they also both took Keeley to five games.

The doubles saw the Cavaliers pair of Simmons and Hodges come from two games down against Ahern and Meredith to win in five, thanks to Hodges’ fine hitting, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8.

Manor Park Pumas defeated Manor Park Travellers 6-4 in a hard-fought contest as five sets went the full distance.

Jon Dyke was in fine form for Pumas as he claimed his three singles, while Dave Knowles won twice and Dave Hallam, despite suffering from a calf injury, won the last set of the evening against Stewart Moss to secure the three points.

For Travellers, Martin Snee won twice, Toby Wren once and they also took the doubles, with Snee and Moss being the triumphant pair.

Crackpots 'E' have moved off the bottom of the table following an 8-2 win over YMCA Vulcans.

Three sets went to five as Colin Dolding and Richard Maddrell both won their three singles for Crackpots.

This combination also won the doubles with Dave Steen taking their other set. Vulcans’ two sets came from Shafaz Ditta and John Cawthra. They also both took Maddrell to five games.

In Division Two, leaders Poolbrook Rangers suffered their second defeat of the season, this time at the hands of fourth-placed Dukes Way Dynamos.

Rangers have played more matches than any other team and, as the season reaches the halfway point, the top four sides are all close.

Against Dynamos, Nick Haggar and Richard Cullis both managed to win two singles, but John Philips took three singles, with Charlie Burford and Dave Bradley each winning one. Philips and Bradley also sealed the doubles.

Three sets did, however, go to five games and two others to four, with eight matches going beyond 9-9.

Rangers fared better against X-Police when Haggar and Cullis won all their singles, while Alastair Maxwell-Stewart took one and the doubles with Cullis.

Again, half the sets required more than three games and 10 were won by just two points.

Alan Preece and Malcolm Dalley won a singles set each for X-Police.

Manor Park Crackpots took three points from their match with Malvern Tornados.