Race for promotion heats up

The race for promotion is really heating up after the weekends action in the AON Contracts Championship, with only nine points separating first-placed Kent and fourth-placed Dorset and six teams with a game in-hand.

Kent moved into top spot, just one point ahead of Gwent, following a 21-15 win over Oxfordshire, who are currently in 12^th position. Oxfordshire started strong, with their Women’s B winning 5-1 with Kent’s sole win coming from Sue Bird, who is currently six wins from six, but the remainder of the match went all Kent’s way.

Kent’s other match award winners were Harry Lane (A), Pat Scurfield (B) and Emma Martin (Womens B), with Oxfordshire’s awards being collected by Stephen Wright in the Men’s A, who produced the top winning average of the tie, Daniel Smith (B), Emily Baldwin (B) and Kimberley Ledbury, who emulated Wright with the women’s average of the match.

Dorset were dominant in their clash against Berkshire as they ran out 23-13 winners over the home side. Berkshire’s women won eight out of their 12 matches, but the strength of Dorset’s men resulted in a 10-2 win for the Men’s B and a 9-3 win for the A side.

Scott Mitchell continued to impress as his 35.79 average proved to be the best across the entire National League, with Tommy Morris taking the Men’s B award, which was the standout average Men’s B in the Championship. Keeping it in the family, Katie Mitchell (23.76) took the Women’s A match award, with the Women’s B award going to Donna Mabbatt.

Terry Stubbs took Berkshire’s Men’s A award for highest average, whilst new signing Steve Wells collected it in the Men’s B. The women’s match awards went to Ally Judge (A) and Carol Bowers (B).

Second-placed Gwent travelled to Staffordshire in a game of two-halves which resulted in a draw overall. The home side led 12-6 over night, before Gwent’s A side produced the same set of results to even the score and see Staffordshire remain just the one point behind Gwent on the table.

Jesse Heal (A) and Ray Hardwick (B) were standout performers for Gwent Men, with Jess Bonner (B) and Welsh International Rhian Griffiths (A) wining the Women’s match awards; Griffith’s 25.47 average the best of the fixture.

Staffordshire’s match awards were claimed by Susan Sherratt (B), Rowena Sidley (A), Peter Eley (B) and Chris Dale (A).

Cambridgeshire currently sit second from bottom on the AON Contracts Championship table, but with a game in hand and a 20-16 result over Buckinghamshire, have put themselves in a good position to avoid relegation.

The best performances of the match both came courtesy of Cambridgeshire’s A team via Dennis Harbour (29.70) and Claire Brookin (pictured, 27.55), Brookin’s average the best across all divisions. Antony Richardson and Amy Grant took Cambridgeshire’s B match awards.

Kirsty Gibbs heads the Championship average table with six wins from six in the A, helped by her 24.64 average this weekend, with Suzanne Smith taking the match award for the B team. Buckinghamshire’s Men’s awards went to Del Boy Pratley (A) and Eddie Ford (B).

Sussex travelled north to Humberside, with the visitors winning the fixture 22-14 following wins for both Men’s A and B squads, the Women’s A and a draw in the Women’s B.

Lewis Gurney was in fine form for Sussex, claiming the top average for both the Men’s A and B side. Sussex stalwart Trisha Kidd took the Women’s A match award, whilst U21 Girls captain Ashleigh Turner produced the best average for Sussex Women’s B.

Humberside’s match awards were picked up by Daryn Grey (A) and Mark Howard (B) for the men. The Women’s A and B awards were won by Bex Waterfall and Sam Lewis.

The final fixture of the Championship saw fourth-placed Hertfordshire travel to the West Midlands. Herfordshire’s Women took nine of the 12 matches on offer, with the West Midlands winning the Men’s B match 7-5, but Hertfordshire’s Men’s A finished off the weekend with an 8-4 win.

West Midland’s John Morris’s average of 28.62 was the highest winning average of the tie, with Scott Hall taking the Men’s B match award. Jacqueline Maiden (A) and Sophie Singh (B) claimed the West Midlands women’s match awards.

Linda Reed (A) produced the highest Women’s average for Hertfordshire, with Kirsty Bond taking the Women’s B award. Thomas Banks (A) and Daniel Varney (B) won the match awards for Hertforshire’s Men’s side.

AON Contracts Championship results: Berkshire 13-23 Dorset, Buckinghamshire 16-20 Cambridgeshire, Humberside 14-22 Sussex, Kent 21-15 Oxfordshire, Staffordshire 18-18 Gwent, West Midlands 14-22 Hertfordshire.

Highest Average Award Winners: