Team Handicap - Round 1
Queens 'E 343-315 AWE

Queens E
Nick Reid
Tom Spencer
Bill Bavister
 
AWE
Steve Jones
John McLarty
Robin Treadwell
 
AWE went into the match with one of the smallest leads i have ever seen in a handicap. It was clear that a team starting with only 3 points more than their opponents would need to win sets to avoid losing the match. And with only 8 points and 2 places separating them in the league the lead was bound to swing to and fro throughout the evening
 
Nick Reid started off the evening well turning the 3 point deficit to a 3 point lead winning 3 of the sets against Steve Jones. However John McLarty quickly took back and increased AWE's lead to 18 points with a big win over Tom Spencer. The 3rd match was to be the biggest and most decisive win of the night for. Bill Bavister was in fine form dropping just 8 points to Robin Treadwell.
 
AWE never recovered from the 3rd match despite big wins in the doubles and for John against Bill. AWE clawed the match back to within 7 points of Queens by the end of the 7th match. However going into the last match of the night John could only play catch-up against Nick after Bill's fantastic performance against Steve sealed Queens' place in the next round in the previous set.
 
Bill was Queens' best player on the night winning 5 of his sets 11-3 or better
John was +68 on the night gaining 132 points and only dropping 64.

Report by: Patrick Garlick