After a relatively successful Week 1 of the 2017/18 League Season, Week 2 saw only 3 wins out of 7 for the Club.
Our only undefeated Team after two weeks of the season is Team 6 (Julian Taylor, Rachel Petrie & Sonny Taylor) who followed up their excellent Week 1 win with a 6-4 victory against Edinburgh International in Division 4. After winning the Week 1 Player of the Week Award, Julian was again in fine form winning all three of his singles matches and combining with Sonny for the doubles win. Sonny won 2 singles whilst Rachel was unlucky not to get on the scoreboard. A great start to the season for Team 6.
In Division 1, Team 2 got their season on track with a 6-4 victory at home to West Lothian 3. Charlie Brindley was on top form winning all his singles matches whilst James Wighton and Clive Liddiard both won 1. The doubles proved crucial – James and Charlie combined well to secure victory for the home side.
In Division 3, Team 4 welcomed John Bald back from his travels and he combined well with Brian Bailey and Louis McLeod in a good 7-3 win in Bathgate against West Lothian 7. Brian was undefeated in singles play whilst both Louis and John picked up 2 singles wins.
Staying in Division 3, Team 5 came back down to earth after their thumping 10-0 win in Week 1 as they fell to a 7-3 defeat at the hands of West Lothian 6. Sean Lennon was the only winner on the night winning two singles. He combined with Millie Bennett in the game of the night as the Penicuik duo won the doubles after surrendering a 2-0 lead – the last three ends couldn’t have been closer – 11-13, 12-14 & 12-10!!
Team 1 came away from their match in Week 2 incredulous at having lost 9-1 to Edinburgh International 1. When Greig McDonell won the first match of the night things looked positive but three 5 end losses (2 from Greig and 1 from David Melrose) in matches where the Penicuik side had taken 2-0 leads turned their night sour. Abby Wighton again played some good stuff and both her teammates left the match wishing they had her backhand!!
After a good win in Week 1, Team 3 faced a stern test away to West Lothian 2. Krzysztof Laszkiewicz, Gary McDougal and Chris Markey fell to an 8-2 defeat with Krzysztof and Chris winning one singles each.
And finally in Week 2, Team 7 travelled to take on the newly named KLOS side. Phil Daly, Geroge Wilson and Kristian Skotzen played well in their 7-3 defeat. Phil won 2 whilst George won 1, both showing nerve to win a match deuce in the fifth (Maybe Team 1 should look for some lessons from them)!
And so to our Player of the Week Award for Week 2 – slightly fewer candidates this week!! Charlie, Brian and Julian were the only undefeated players in singles play. Brian lost his doubles match so he’s out of the running. Both Charlie and Julian had doubles victories and therefore won 4 matches in matching 6-4 results for their teams. Sorry Julian, you can’t win it two weeks in a row – With his teammates only winning 1 singles each, the importance of Charlie’s undefeated night wins him this week’s award – Well done Charlie.
Our controversy of the week from last week rumbles on - having sought clarification on the Appeals process all Clubs seem to have been sent a new ELTTL Complaints Procedure. This doesn’t really seem to apply to our situation – no rule has been infringed and no club or individual is the subject of our complaint. We have seen in the past that rules can be bent (broken) and the League has regularly bent with such infringements. What we are asking the League to do is exactly that – we all know what the league say should happen in respect of players’ ratings and their resultant team positions but hey if the league is prepared to overlook some rules which will only be enforced in certain situations why not others. Still no clearer if this Complaints process is the way in which our appeal is meant to be progressed…..
Secondly this week, our friends from Edinburgh University are understandably given leeway to start their League campaign in Week 3 of the season – they need to all get back from their 6 months holidays, get through a couple of Freshers Weeks, get bedded in to Uni life and then have trials to find out who’s available for the League. All understood and no difficulty with that – that’s been the position with the University for as long as we can remember. But hold on it appears that some Uni teams were intending on playing last week – indeed some did play – no notification of this just fortunate we suppose that one Club did contact them to be told they were expecting to play the match as scheduled. The direction from the League after finding this out was sent on Wednesday afternoon in the following terms:
“…. I would strongly urge all clubs who have scheduled matches against Edinburgh University tonight or on Friday to contact Edinburgh University immediately to determine explicitly whether or not the matches will proceed.”
Eh hang on a minute – some of us actually have lives which involve more notice being required than 5 hours to change plans – can they play before Week 3 or not?? Not aware of any resultant problems although one could easily see how this may have got the League’s new Complaints procedure off to a flying start.
Roll on Week 3.
Our only undefeated Team after two weeks of the season is Team 6 (Julian Taylor, Rachel Petrie & Sonny Taylor) who followed up their excellent Week 1 win with a 6-4 victory against Edinburgh International in Division 4. After winning the Week 1 Player of the Week Award, Julian was again in fine form winning all three of his singles matches and combining with Sonny for the doubles win. Sonny won 2 singles whilst Rachel was unlucky not to get on the scoreboard. A great start to the season for Team 6.
In Division 1, Team 2 got their season on track with a 6-4 victory at home to West Lothian 3. Charlie Brindley was on top form winning all his singles matches whilst James Wighton and Clive Liddiard both won 1. The doubles proved crucial – James and Charlie combined well to secure victory for the home side.
In Division 3, Team 4 welcomed John Bald back from his travels and he combined well with Brian Bailey and Louis McLeod in a good 7-3 win in Bathgate against West Lothian 7. Brian was undefeated in singles play whilst both Louis and John picked up 2 singles wins.
Staying in Division 3, Team 5 came back down to earth after their thumping 10-0 win in Week 1 as they fell to a 7-3 defeat at the hands of West Lothian 6. Sean Lennon was the only winner on the night winning two singles. He combined with Millie Bennett in the game of the night as the Penicuik duo won the doubles after surrendering a 2-0 lead – the last three ends couldn’t have been closer – 11-13, 12-14 & 12-10!!
Team 1 came away from their match in Week 2 incredulous at having lost 9-1 to Edinburgh International 1. When Greig McDonell won the first match of the night things looked positive but three 5 end losses (2 from Greig and 1 from David Melrose) in matches where the Penicuik side had taken 2-0 leads turned their night sour. Abby Wighton again played some good stuff and both her teammates left the match wishing they had her backhand!!
After a good win in Week 1, Team 3 faced a stern test away to West Lothian 2. Krzysztof Laszkiewicz, Gary McDougal and Chris Markey fell to an 8-2 defeat with Krzysztof and Chris winning one singles each.
And finally in Week 2, Team 7 travelled to take on the newly named KLOS side. Phil Daly, Geroge Wilson and Kristian Skotzen played well in their 7-3 defeat. Phil won 2 whilst George won 1, both showing nerve to win a match deuce in the fifth (Maybe Team 1 should look for some lessons from them)!
And so to our Player of the Week Award for Week 2 – slightly fewer candidates this week!! Charlie, Brian and Julian were the only undefeated players in singles play. Brian lost his doubles match so he’s out of the running. Both Charlie and Julian had doubles victories and therefore won 4 matches in matching 6-4 results for their teams. Sorry Julian, you can’t win it two weeks in a row – With his teammates only winning 1 singles each, the importance of Charlie’s undefeated night wins him this week’s award – Well done Charlie.
Our controversy of the week from last week rumbles on - having sought clarification on the Appeals process all Clubs seem to have been sent a new ELTTL Complaints Procedure. This doesn’t really seem to apply to our situation – no rule has been infringed and no club or individual is the subject of our complaint. We have seen in the past that rules can be bent (broken) and the League has regularly bent with such infringements. What we are asking the League to do is exactly that – we all know what the league say should happen in respect of players’ ratings and their resultant team positions but hey if the league is prepared to overlook some rules which will only be enforced in certain situations why not others. Still no clearer if this Complaints process is the way in which our appeal is meant to be progressed…..
Secondly this week, our friends from Edinburgh University are understandably given leeway to start their League campaign in Week 3 of the season – they need to all get back from their 6 months holidays, get through a couple of Freshers Weeks, get bedded in to Uni life and then have trials to find out who’s available for the League. All understood and no difficulty with that – that’s been the position with the University for as long as we can remember. But hold on it appears that some Uni teams were intending on playing last week – indeed some did play – no notification of this just fortunate we suppose that one Club did contact them to be told they were expecting to play the match as scheduled. The direction from the League after finding this out was sent on Wednesday afternoon in the following terms:
“…. I would strongly urge all clubs who have scheduled matches against Edinburgh University tonight or on Friday to contact Edinburgh University immediately to determine explicitly whether or not the matches will proceed.”
Eh hang on a minute – some of us actually have lives which involve more notice being required than 5 hours to change plans – can they play before Week 3 or not?? Not aware of any resultant problems although one could easily see how this may have got the League’s new Complaints procedure off to a flying start.
Roll on Week 3.
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