WITH only a couple of weeks until the end of the summer season, the divisions in the BDTL are starting to take shape.
Men’s Division 1:
Current table-toppers Stratton Park A have played all their fixtures, and are only ahead of Andover B due to having won more sets. However, three of the teams below this pair have a chance at topping the division come the end of the season. Andover A appear to be in pole position to leapfrog those above them, as they still have 2 games to play and are currently level on points, but Waverley A and Riseley A could theoretically win the division if they win their remaining matches and other results go their way. Totally Tennis A and Odiham A are out of the running and one of those two will likely finish the season bottom of the division.
Results from this month:
Andover B drew with Waverley A (4-4)
Stratton Park A drew with Andover A (4-4)
Stratton Park A beat Totally Tennis A (8-0)
Andover B beat Riseley (8-0 walkover)
Waverley A beat Totally Tennis A (6-2)
Men’s Division 2:
It looks like a two-horse race in division 2 of the men’s doubles competition with Oakley A and Hampshire Court A as the only two teams with a mathematical chance of topping the division. Oakley look the favourite with a three point lead, but have played a game more than their closest rivals, Hampshire Court A. With these two teams still having to play each other, the title is there for the taking.
Results from this month:
Old Basing beat Goodworth Clatford (8-0 walkover)
Old Basing beat Riseley B (7-1)
Riseley B beat Waverley B (5-3)
Oakley A beat Preston Candover A (6-2)
Men’s Division 3:
Division 3 is proving to be a rather close division with four teams still theoretically able to finish top. It appears that Andover C will emerge victorious, but funny things can happen as the season reaches it’s conclusion.
Results from this month:
Oakley B drew with Kingsclere (4-4)
Andover C beat Hook (8-0 walkover)
Beechdown C drew with Andover C (4-4)
Beechdown C beat Oakley B (7-1)
Men’s Division 4:
The only men’s doubles division winner that is settled so far sees Waverley C finish top, 2 points clear of their nearest rivals, Stratton Park B. Waverley only dropped one point on their way to finishing top of division 4 (a draw against Whitchurch), but they were rather untroubled in their other games, winning all by a comfortable margin. Attention now turns to settling the middle order, with Sherborne St John and Whitchurch scrapping it out in the hopes of finishing third.
Results from this month:
Waverley C beat Totally Tennis C (8-0 walkover)
Totally Tennis C beat Preston Candover B (8-0 walkover)
Waverley C beat Stratton Park C (7-1)
Whitchurch beat Riseley C (8-0 walkover)
Waverley C beat Sherborne St John (8-0)
Whitchurch beat Preston Candover B (6-2)
Ladies Division 1:
With only a few matches still to be played, Andover find themselves in the top spot, but their closest challengers (Preston Candover A) have two matches in hand. The team in second place beat Andover earlier in the season, so a betting person might put their money on Preston Candover securing sufficient results in their remaining matches to finish at the top of division for the second straight season.
Results from this month:
Andover beat Hampshire Court (7-1)
Andover beat Aldermaston A (7-1)
Goodworth Clatford drew with Andover (4-4)
Odiham A drew with Hampshire Court A (4-4)
Hampshire Court A drew with Goodworth Clatford (4-4)
Aldermaston A beat Totally Tennis (8-0 walkover)
Ladies Division 2:
With almost all the matches played, the standings in division 2 are nearly set. It seems that Old Basing A will win the division, courtesy of a better games won percentage. They are currently level on points with Riseley A, but edge the percent of games won by just 0.7% per cent. This is made even closer given the fact that Riseley beat Old Basing during the season, but both team’s results versus the other teams in the division have seen a swing in Old Basing’s favour.
Results from this month:
Riseley A beat Whitchurch A (8-0)
Old Basing A beat Whitchurch A (8-0)
Beechdown B beat Whitchurch A (6-2)
Ladies Division 3:
Preston Candover B are looking good at the top of the ladies third division. They currently hold a point lead over their nearest rivals, and have a game in hand. The final few matches could cause a change, and there are still four teams in with a shout at finishing the season at the head of the standings.
Results from this month:
Riseley B beat Sherborn St John (7-1)
Riseley B beat Whitchurch B (8-0)
Mixed Division 1:
Even with some teams still needing to play two matches, Andover have done enough to finish decently clear of the chasing pack. They finished their season with a couple of wins this month, and hold an unassailable lead at this late stage. Andover won 6 of their matches, with their sole loss coming against current second placed Riseley A.
Results from this month:
Hampshire Court A beat RIseley A (8-0)
Odiham A beat Preston Candover (8-0 walkover)
Andover beat Hampshire Court A (8-0)
Andover beat Odiham A (5-3)
Goodworth Clatford drew with Riseley A (4-4)
Stratton Park A drew with Hampshire Court A (4-4)
Odiham A beat Goodworth Clatford (6-2)
Old Basing A beat Hampshire Court A (5-3)
Preston Candover beat Goodworth Clatford (8-0 walkover)
Mixed Division 2:
With a couple of wins in their past three matches, Stratton Park B have leapt to the top of the table with a one point lead over Aldermaston A. However Aldermaston A and Riseley can both use their game in hand to make it to the top of the table. The next couple of weeks will be interesting to see if either of these teams can get the result they need. There is a bit of a gulf between the top three and the rest, but there have been some competitive matches for the minor places.
Results from this month:
Aldermaston A beat Stratton Park B (8-0)
Stratton Park B beat Aldermaston B (8-0)
Riseley B beat Odiham B (5-3)
Riseley B beat Whitchurch A (6-2)
Stratton Park A beat Whitchurch A (6-2)
Beechdown B beat Aldermaston A (5-3)
Mixed Division 3:
It seems that three teams have a chance to claim the mixed division 3 title, with Newbury, Preston Candover B and Beechdown C all in with a decent opportunity. Preston Candover and Beechdown both have two games in hand over Newbury, so can draw back the 2 and 3 point respective gap to the top. There are still a lot of matches for some of the lower placed teams to complete, so it’s not certain if they’ll be able to get them played in the next week or so.
Results from this month:
Preston Candover B beat Newbury (5-3)
Totally Tennis B drew with Whitchurch B (4-4)
Newbury beat Old Basing B (8-0)
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