JUNIOR BRITISH LEAGUE PLAY OFFS AT THE GRANTHAM LEISURE CENTRE ON 12 JULY 2008

The Play Offs for places in the Junior British League for 2008/09 were held at the Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham on Saturday 12 July 2008. Ten Girls teams had applied to fill the two relegation places and the Chelmsford Girls team were looking to regain the place they lost when relegated back in February. The ten teams were divided into two Groups of 5 with the winners of each Group guaranteed a place in the main Junior British League. The format of play for all Boys and Girls Group matches was to play two matches on three tables with the aim of a 7.00pm finish, each team playing four matches during the day. On arrival at the venue information was that there may be more than two vacancies in the Girls event and there would be play offs between the runners up and third placed teams of each Group to cater for this eventuality.

Chelmsford’s opening match was against Greenhouse Wales and started on two tables. Against Danielle Tyler Hannah Pitt lost her first game, won the next two easily and after a seesaw fourth from leading 4-0, trailing 5-8 came through to win 11-9. Meanwhile Stevie Pell from 10-7 up in the first against Charlotte Jenkins lost 10-12, and the next two 7 and 4 to make the match score 1-1. Hannah had to go straight back on against Chantelle and lost in four whilst Tamsin Holland from Barnet, replacing the overage Abigail Moore and ranked one place below Stevie in the ETTA Ranking List, had a much easier game against Nicole Hall to win three straight. Going straight back on against Danielle proved a marathon, finally winning 12-10 in the fifth and with Stevie beating Nicole in four a 4-2 team win was achieved in the first match.

After an hour and a half’s no match break the Group’s favourites Spicer/York Gardens “A” were the next opponents. Stevie lost the opening match to Fei Fei Pei 3-0 suffering four unplayable nets in the third game, Hannah went down 3-1 to Lucy Burks and then 3-0 to Fei Fei when the match moved on to two tables. After losing the first to Lucy Lou 12-10, Tamsin just won the next three, two at deuce and followed this up with another extremely close game against Lucy Burks, ranked 140 points above her, to win in four. Meanwhile Stevie, unable to convert five game points in the first against Lucy Lou lost the next two for a 4-2 defeat. A good result really considering the opponents had won their first two matches 6-0.

Next came Byng Hall, the team that finished below Chelmsford in last year’s Junior British League but who had the Group’s highest ranked player in their team. The first four matches were all won 3-0, Jasmin beating Stevie (although at one stage Stevie had led 6-3 in the second) and Hannah following Hannah’s opening win over Danielle Gray, albeit 14-12 in the third, with an easy win for Tamsin over Lydia Roberts. Tamsin then went on to beat Danielle in four to leave the last match to Stevie for the team win. Stevie however, after what must have been a tiring week, was sound asleep and not even the opponents coach could wake her. Eventually Hannah and Tamsin achieved the necessary awakening and a pale looking Stevie made her way to the table. Hardly able to move she won her first two games against Lydia 6&5 before the advice given by Lydia’s coach enabled her to take the third to 6. Unable to find a reserve of energy Stevie somehow managed to save a game point in the fourth and win the next two for the teams 4-2 win and equal second place.

The last match in the Group was against Greenhouse CFGS, a team coached by Natalie Bawden and Alex Green and who are due to marry next month. Having snatched five minutes or so of fresh air Stevie was first on against Monsurat Alausa and looking much better but squandered a 10-7 lead in the first game to lose 11-13. However no mistake in the next three for an opening win. Hannah followed this up by beating Monsurat’s sister Abisola in four but Tamsin could make little of Louise Aphia’s blocking defensive style losing in four for her first defeat of the day. Hannah went on and beat Monsurat in four and Tamsin, playing her last match out of order as Stevie was umpiring Hannah’s match on the other table, achieved the team win and guaranteed second place with an easy three game win over Abisola. Stevie won the last game against Louise 3-0 showing Tamsin how to power a win with a series of forehand and backhand winners for a 5-1 result.

The play off for 3rd and 4th place was against Grant Solder’s Morpeth School “B”. The format was three matches, 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3, the matches played on three tables at the same time. With yours truly umpiring Tamsin’s match against Sayeeda Anjan Miah which she lost deuce in the fourth after having a game point I found that Hannah had won her match against Chantelle Wilson despite losing the first 2-11 so it was up to Stevie whose match against Harriet Taylor had just entered the third game with the score line one all. This turned out to be an absolute nail biter with game points to both players and eventually 18-16 to Stevie. The fourth game was no different except that Stevie converted the match point first time for the Chelmsford team to finish in third place overall. Incidentally after losing the first Stevie had taken the second 14-12.

Hannah 5 wins out of 9, Stevie 5 wins out of 9 and Tamsin 7 wins out of 9.

Match Results:

Chelmsford v Greenhouse Wales

Hannah Pitt v Danielle Tyler 8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9.

Stevie Pell v Charlotte Jenkins 10-12, 7-11, 4-11.

Tamsin Holland v Nicole Hall 11-5, 11-3, 13-11.

Hannah Pitt v Charlotte Tyler 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 9-11.

Tamsin Holland v Danielle Tyler 6-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10.

Stevie Pell v Nicole Hall 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8.                                        Match Result 4-2

Spicer/York Gardens ‘A’

Fei Fei Pei v Stevie Pell 11-9, 11-4, 11-4.

Lucy Burks v Hannah Pitt 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9.

Lucy Lou v Tamsin Holland 12-10, 14-16, 8-11, 11-13.

Fei Fei Pei v Hannah Pitt 11-4, 11-6, 11-9.

Lucy Lou v Stevie Pell 16-14, 11-8, 11-6.

Luck Burks v Tamsin Holland 11-5, 9-11, 11-13, 9-11.                               Match Result 4-2

Chelmsford v Byng Hall

Hannah Pitt v Daniella Gray 11-5, 11-5, 14-12.

Stevie Pell v Jasmin Ould 6-11, 9-11, 4-11.

Tamsin Holland v Lydia Roberts 11-3, 11-4, 11-6.

Hannah Pitt v Jasmin Ould 4-11, 9-11, 9-11.

Tamsin Holland v Daniella Gray 11-5, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5.

Stevie Pell v Lydia Roberts 11-6, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10.                                 Match Result 4-2

Greenhouse CFGS v Chelmsford

Monsurat Alausa v Stevie Pell  13-11, 7-11, 7-11, 5-11.

Abisola Alausa v Hannah Pitt 3-11, 11-8, 7-11, 6-11.

Laura Aphia v Tamsin Holland 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4.

Monsurat Alausa v Hannah Pitt 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11.

Louise Aphia v Stevie Pell 7-11, 6-11, 7-11.

Abisola Alausa v Tamsin Holland 6-11, 8-11, 3-11.                                   Match Result 1-5

Group Runners Up Play off  Morpeth School ‘B’ v Chelmsford

Chantelle Wilson v Hannah Pitt 11-2, 10-12, 3-11, 3-11.

Harriet Taylor v Stevie Pell 11-7, 12-14, 16-18, 9-11.

Sayeeda Anjan Miah v Tamsin Holland 11-7, 9-11, 11-9 12-10.                  Match Result 1-2

 

The De Vere NETTS team of Martin West, Phillip Lawson, Brandon Crouchman and Scott Dowsett were also in the Play Offs trying to qualify for the main event. Group winners to go through and the four runners up to play in a KO for the remaining place. With one team failing to arrive there were only four teams in their Group. Their first match was against 3 E’s, players who had played in the North London National Junior League last season but their team were now missing two of their top three players and a 5-1 win was achieved. However defeats to the top two seeded teams, DHS Greenhouse Progress 6 and OLOP – Impact meant that they failed to qualify.

Arthur C. Clark

Junior Match Secretary.