WHAT a showdown between Shaun Ellis’s Brooks B andleaders Woodfield Park A!

Brooks’ youngsters Harry Ness and Matt Ellis have acquitted themselves so well this season that Ellis’s 100% record from 24 matches had almost slipped under the radar.

The former Closed Champion has returned after a year out and is in prime form.

His clash with Darren Lindley was always, therefore, going to be tasty and it didn’t disappoint.

Ellis rocked Lindley by taking a two-game lead, winning the first 11-8 and the second by a resounding 11-2 margin.

He came within a whisker of winning in three straight, but Lindley took the third in deuce by 13-11 and the fourth 11-9.

The deciding game proved an anti-climax with Lindley running out victor by 11-2, thus ending Ellis’s unbeaten record.

Ness had an excellent win over Keith Skarz but Brooks went down 7-3, with Ellis having the better of both Skarz and Ian McLean.

Wilshaw A fielded another ‘import’ from over the hill in Oldham’s Geoff Ogden when they entertained Deighton B.

Ogden proved a surprise packet in going through the match unbeaten against the strong Polish trio. His excellent counter attack was a feature throughout.

Francis Cioffi beat Rafal Aleksandrzak and Wilshaw came close to getting a surprise draw, but were pipped in a very close doubles.

Scissett WMC A travelled to Marsh B and swamped them 9-1. Andrew Rawnsley and Roger Morley were both unbeaten while Glyn Normanton provided the home side’s only consolation with victory over Stewart Clarke.

It was good to see Peter Walker back in action after a lengthy illness. His dogged determination will be much needed if his Kingsmith B side are to avoid relegation.

They certainly found it tough in their derby with Kingsmith A, losing 8-2 with Walker and Gareth Stott both defeating Peter Fox, while Janet Adams and Geoff Dunne were unbeaten.

In a remarkably tight Second Division, only 19 points separate the leaders from a relegation spot!

Contrast this with Division One, where the gap is 44 points.

Occupying 11th place are Kingsmith PW, the only side in the divsion yet to win. However they recorded their fourth draw of the season when they met Kingsmith 200+.

It was a close thing as they had to win a very close doubles by 13-11 in the fifth to take a share of the spoils – Geoff Heywood was undefeated for 200+.

Another 100% record was ended when Deighton D entertained Wilshaw B in the Third Division.

Paul Simpson, who had not lost in 21 games in both Division II and III, found Jonathan Vaughan in the groove and lost in three straight games.

His teammate Matthew Weatherby once again performed to a standard not out of place in the top flight, comfortably winning all three matches to secure a 6-4 win for Deighton.

His selective presence in the side could prove decisive in the promotion battle at the end of the season.