.League Secretary 18/04/08 The League Chairman, Ruth Cairns, has sent a letter to all clubs pointing out that we require a volunteer to be appointed as secretary at the Annual General Meeting which will be held on Tuesday 8^th July at Basingstoke Rugby Club.  Commencing at 7.30pm.

Ladies Matches 18/04/08   A 6/3 victory in early February over Andover Sports at Andover followed by a 9/0 win against Phoenix at Sherfield School gave BH Pegasus 15 valuable points in the Ladies Division of 6.   The successful team against Phoenix was Amanda Marsden/Alison Hodgetts, Sally Holmes/Doreen Quilter and Kim Street/Jenny Skilton.  In the earlier match at Andover, Amanda Marsden/Anu Davies won a treble supported by two rubbers from Lesley Acheson/Kim Street and one from Jenny Skilton/Alison Hodgetts.  Pauline Prior and Sandra McDonald won two of the home side’s rubbers complimented by one from Liz Jones/Liz Roberts.  Elsewhere in the division each of the three Beechdown pairs won two rubbers when they defeated visiting LoddonSherpas 6/3.  The pairs were, Hayley Kopp/Kate Appleton, Karen Southwell/Sandra Smith and Madge Cummings/Andrea Hill.  Sue Evans and Cheryl Matthews won the three rubbers for the losers.  

This division is still undecided as BH Pegasus have still to play leaders Viking at Everest College and a good result in their favour could place them in a position to take the title.  Much will also depend on the result of an outstanding match between BH Pegasus and LoddonSherpas, the card for which has not yet been received.

Mens Matches 18/04/08  Although the division has not yet been completed Viking A are this year’s Mens Division 1 champions. With 70 points they cannot now be overtaken.  Their programme finished with a narrow 5/4 victory over Andover Sports A at Andover.  Tony Coombes/Torben Wachholz and Milo Rapacioli/Graeme Berry both won two rubbers in this win supported by one from Tim Cooper/Chris Powell.  Shaun McDonald/Emmerson Cumberbatch won two of the home rubbers with Damien Roberts/Tim Hunt and Chris Clarke/Andrew Kinge getting one each.  With some outstanding cards now in, Andover Sports A have finished in second place.  Viking B are currently in third spot but could be overtaken by BH Pegasus A who have two matches still to play.  With Damien Roberts/Tim Hunt and Shaun McDonald/Emerson Cumberbatch winning maxima and Andrew Kinge/Chris Clarke winning two rubbers Andover Sports A beat their own B side 8/1.  Peter Cowmeadow/Paul Williams won the consolation rubbers for the losers.  In early March, a treble from David Gough/Richard O’Kelly , one rubber each from Martin Hill/Alex Wigmore and David Burrell/Martin Davey gave BH Pegasus A a 5/4 home win against Andover Sports A.  In this encounter Shaun McDonald/Emerson Cumberbatch won two of the loser’s rubbers with Chris Clarke/Andrew Kinge and Damien Roberts/Tim Hunt getting one each.  A fortnight later Andover Sports A again visited the Sports Centre, this time to play BH Pegasus B whom they defeated 5/4.  Chris Clarke this time paired with Tim Hunt recorded a maximum for the winners supported by two rubbers from Emerson Cumberbatch/Andrew Kinge.  Ramsey Dumloge/Dale Turpin and Andrew Bosworth/Alex Groom won a rubber each for the losing home side with Kevin Harris/Chris Pearson contributing two.   Carlo/Milo Rapacioli, Simon Williamson/Stuart Cheng and Vince Yong/Neil Hodges were the successful Viking B team which defeated Andover Sports B 9/0 at Everest College.  

A 7/2 away win against Waverley and a 9/0 home victory over Phoenix A have given BH Pegasus C a lift to the top of the Division 2 table.  They can still be overhauled by both Beechdown A and LoddonSherpas A  in their bid for promotion.  Waverley’s two rubbers were won by Keith Miles/Adam Bridgen and Ian Aherne/Peter Bevell, one each while those for the winners were won by Steve Harrison/Ray Chow, three, Steve Glover/James Skilton, two and Chris Pearson/Mark Chapple, two.  The same three pairings made up the home team which was victorious against Phoenix A.  A two pair Andover team beat Firefly at the Hurst with Mark Holden/Steve Trussell winning their three rubbers and Geoff Lewis/Alan Dixon contributing the remaining two.  Phil Pike and Scott Armstead won the only rubber scored by the home side. 

 Bob Thirkell/Mark Emerson were the only winners for the home team  when Alresford lost 8/1 to Hurst in Division 3.  Chris Pugsley/Keith Lawrence and David Ord/Dave Keep both recorded maxima for the winners supplemented by two rubbers from Mark Payne/Duncan Kenny.  Mick Cummings/Neil Marie, Bruce Scott/Keith Dawson and Tim Williams/Tim Jefferies were the three successful Beechdown B pairs which beat Phoenix B 9/0 at Winchester Road to go to the top of the table.   Aldermaston, represented by Neil Hince/Michael Ling, Rod Jenkins/David Lowe and Alan MacDonald/Stephen Gaunt, climbed into the second promotion spot with a 9/0 home victory over Whitchurch.  They are now only two points behind Beechdown B and have two matches in hand so should finish up in the top spot

 Mixed Matches 18/04/08   Viking Mixed A finished their matches in Division1 with a 8/1 victory over BH Pegasus B at the Sports Centre.  Tim Cooper/Julie Shawley and Torben Wachholz/Diane Cooper  won their three rubbers for the winners complimented by two from Tony Coombes/Alison Crawford.  Chris Pearson/Doreen Quilter won the solitary home rubber. Andover Sports A are in danger of being relegated from the 1^st Division following a 8/1 defeat at the hands of Viking B.  Emerson Cumberbatch/Sandra McDonald were the losers only winners.  Milo/Linda Rapacioli and Torben Wachholz/Sophia Rapacioli both scored maxima for the winners supported by two rubbers from Carlo Rapacioli/Madeline Graves. 

 Beechdown A have already won Division 2 and it looks as though their B side may take the second promotion place.  They had a 5/4 win against visiting Viking C with Mick Cummings/Sandra Smith and Mark Bayliss/Cathryn Perkins winning two rubbers each complimented by one from Simon Johnson/Kate Appleton.  Ben Ansell/Ruth Cairns won their three rubbers for the losers with Neil Hodges/Sara Haddow getting the fourth.    A 7/2 victory for Viking C in their last match against Waverley A would see them pip Beechdown B by one point.  A maximum from Chris Pearson/Sally Holmes helped BH Pegasus C to achieve a 5/4 away win over Waverley A.  Steve Glover and Haylie Fox won the other two rubbers for BH Pegasus C.  Keith Miles and Gill Trimmer won two rubbers for the losers helped by one each from Ian Aherne/Jo Berry and Adam Bridgen/Jan Macdonald.  A fortnight later Waverley A lost again, this time 9/0 to leaders Beechdown A.  The winning team was Neil Marie/Andrea Hill, Daniel Sheppard/Karen Southwell and Martin Webb/Hayley Kopp.  

Aldermaston A beat Andover Sports B 6/3 at Andover in Division 3 with Chris Apsey/Sue Richardson leading the way with a maximum.  Michael Ling/Rhian Jenkins won two rubbers and Glynn Libberton/Helen Apsey one.  Andover Sports B and Phoenix A are level at the moment in the second promotion spot.  Each has one match to play, so a tight finish for this second place is in sight.   

An 8/1 victory over visiting Waverley B has given Aldermaston B the top place in the Division 4 table, following the example set by their A side in the division above. Neil Hince/Sally Jenkins and Rod Jenkins/Helen Apsey both recorded maxima for the winners supported by two rubbers from Michael Ling/Joan Vinall.  Peter Bevell/Christine Fowler won the solitary rubber for the losers.  In the same division a narrow 5/4 victory gave Phoenix B, in their last match, their first win of the season. They beat Basing Cavaliers at Sherfield School.  Roy Gallie/Wendy Mason and Bob Cosgrove/Kate Hawkins won two rubbers each with Neil Clelland/Pim Bogaerts contributing the winning fifth.  Stephen Gaunt and Theresa Simmonds won all three of their rubbers for the losers supported by one from Andrew Dance/Sheila Weston.

 Hampshire County 1stTeam 18/04/08  After the three matches over the final weekend the County 1st team finished in a comfortable 6th position.  5/5  draws against Leicestershire and then Worcestershire followed by a 7/3 defeat by Surrey meant the the team finished with 41 points.  Buckinghamshire with 29 points and Worcestershire with 38 were relegated.  The weekend was not without it's moments and it was not until the Sunday that the battle at mid and bottom table was sorted out.