15 December, 2019 Daniel Clark
The General Election may have been a landslide, but that is not how Division 1 of the Mixed league could be described, with just one point between the top three teams.
Queens currently are leading the race for the big prize, and a 7-2 win away at Sidmouth A was enough give them an early lead, with Ben Jordan/Kate Povey going unbeaten, with Harry Williams/Rachel Irish getting Sidmouth’s points.
They are just a point ahead of both Ringswell A and Exeter A after Ringswell won the inter-Maynards battle 6-3, with Ian Walsh/Jess Hill going unbeaten. Ringswell A do though have a game in hand on Queens, as do St Leonards A, who have not played for six weeks but could also go top with a win. Sidmouth A, with four defeats from four, look set for a return to Division 2A.
And that league is led surprisingly by newly promoted Chulmleigh, who have won five from five so far. Three points from Ben Hamill/Lorna See and two from Matt Hamill/Michelle Wylde saw them beat St Leonards B 5-4, before the same pairs went unbeaten in a 7-2 win over Otter Vale A, in which Adrian Bourner/Karen Parish also picked up a point.
Ringswell B sit second in the league, but despite having lost early season to Chulmleigh, are just six points back with a game in hand after a 9-0 win over third placed Exeter B. They picked up an 8-1 win over Otter Vale A, before falling 5-4 to St Leonards B, for whom Matthew Kwong/Cherry Law went unbeaten.
Otter Vale A are fourth, a point ahead of St Leonards B, who have only played twice so far, with Otter Vale B sitting bottom of the division and still winless after they lost 5-4 to Exeter B on Thursday. Forced into fielding a much-changed and youthful side, Otter Vale benefitted from three gifted points after Exeter B could only field two pairs, and won the first rubber when Daniel Clark/Madi Challinor beat Chris Bradley/Stacey Horne 21-17, 15-21, 22-20, but Exeter won all the remaining sets to seal the win.
Otter Vale D remain top of Division 2B after benefitting from a walkover against Sidmouth B, who were unable to field a side, while Otter Vale C also had the same good fortune. When Sidmouth B did manage to take to the courts though, a two pair side had enough to beat Honiton 6-3, with Matt Sach/Helen Underwood and Kieran Fuller/Linda McKracken winning all their rubbers.
The other completed fixture in the division saw St Leonards C beat Otter Vale C 7-2, to put the Exeter-based club in second place, although with a game in hand on the leaders. Chris Smith/Hazel Tucker got the two points for Otter Vale, with Ian Jameson/Rachel Noakes winning all of their rubbers for St Leonards.