13 April 2008

DHS London Progress signed off in style by beating third-placed BATTS Team Peniel 8-0. Hong Ming Zhang, Jiang Chang Hong, Terry Young and Zhi Tao Jiang didn’t have it all their own way but a battling BATTS side only managed to extend them to five ends once, when Craig Bryant led Terry Young 2-1. Terry eventually came through to win 8-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8. A fitting way for the London giants to win the British League Championships for a tenth time.

London Progress Team Captain Jason Sugrue, a survivor of their first title winning side also gave a glimpse of what may be a very different British League Premier Division Season next year by advising that the Progress team would be concentrating on giving their younger players a chance. In future years they will be including at least two young players in their Premier Division side every match. Although next year’s side is unlikely to be as strong as this year’s all-conquering line-up you would suspect that a team with such up-and-coming players as Matt Ware and Garth Kinlocke will still be in contention for honours.

Drumchapel Glasgow ensured that they finished second by beating Ormesby 6-2. David Meads levelled the scores for the Clevelanders at 1-1 by beating Sau Ayemojuba 3-1 whilst Justin Ma scored  a fine 11-9 in the fifth game win over Craig Howieson to level the scores at 2-2. However, it was the Glasgow side who produced the better finish as they took all four second-half singles. Ryan Jenkins beat David Meads over five ends, Stephen Jenkins got the better of Mike Marsden 3-1, Sau Ayemojuba was a decisive 3-0 winner over Justin Ma and Craig Howieson wrapped up what was an excellent Drumchapel performance by beating Nigel Eckersley 3-0.       

Ellenborough produced a workmanlike performance to beat Urban Progress 6-2. Niall Cameron gave Urban Progress the perfect start by beating Jon Nilsson 3-0 but Liam Pitchford and Lorestas Trumpauskas both turned in unbeaten performances to ensure that Ellenborough stayed in control. Lorestas turned on the power in his second singles as he hammered Cameron 11-7, 11-4, 11-7. Urban Progress’s Costas Papantoniou also impressed and he did well to beat  Jimmy Walsh 13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5.

Sycamore were rarely troubled as they beat TTK Greenhouse 8-0. Stuart Crawford, Kevin Dolder, Shaun Marples and Adam Frost had things pretty much their own way as they ran out comfortable winners. Daniel Basterfield, star of TTK’s second team who were Runners-Up in Division Three South looked the most comfortable at this level, and he pushed Shaun Marples before succumbing 14-16, 6-11, 6-11 and Adam Frost before missing out 9-11, 9-11, 10-12.       

Photo: Zhi Tao Jiang, Jason Sugrue, Alan Ransome, Terry Young, Jiang Chang Hong  and Hong Ming Zhang as DHS London Progress receive the Alan Ransome Trophy 

For all the results click here