27 Feb 2016
Huatoki wrapped up the minor premiership for Soffe Cup when
they quelled a Pukekura team 12-4. Oakura finished second in the
premiership when they were victorious over Stratford with a 11-5 victory, whilst
Rotokare held on to the last remaining semi-final spot by holding Okaiawa/Manaia
at bay to record a 9-7 win.
Huatoki at near full strength are a formidable team and that was Pukekura found
when they travelled to their city neighbour. Ajeet Rai was dominant as
expected although Dani Guerra was no walkover with Rai winning 6-2 6-1.
Rai had backup from Jayden Harrison who defeated Meto Snegirev 6-1 6-1 and from
Murray Keast downing Thomson Matuku 6-1 3-6 6-2. However Alistair Nairn
lost to Andrew Hood 6-4 6-4. The ladies single were shared with Hikaru Han
at No.1 and Chris Wilson at No.4 prevailing for Huatoki and the other matches
going to Pukekura. Han, dominant over Donna Thorne 6-0 6-2 and Wilson over
Jeanette Harding 6-1 6-3. Pukekura fought back with Marcella Jones beating
Tracey Old 6-3 5-7 6-1 and Nikayla Barnard giving Ellen O'Byrne a tennis lesson
with a 6-1 6-1 victory. Leading 5-3 after singles play, Huatoki then won
75% of the doubles and all of the combines matches to secure a win and gain
enough points to finish one and a half clear of Oakura.
Central Finance Rotokare ground out a 9-7 victory over Farmlands Okaiawa/Manaia
in a rain-interrupted day. Rotokare held a 5-3 advantage after singles
play before the combined side won three of the doubles matches to square the tie
at 6 all. Vince Baylis continued his excellent form in recent weeks when
he downed Rotokare's Malcolm Elder 6-4 2-6 6-1 in the No.1 men's match.
Josh Murdoch (O/M) had a long match against go his way against John Lehman 3-6
7-5 7-6(10). Rotokare's Shane Devlin and Richard Sumpter had wins over
Ryan Stockman and Andrew Baylis respectively. In the ladies, Rotokare's
Tania Atkinson was too practiced over Catherine Blom 6-2 6-2 and Chantelle
Peters held her nerve in the rain for a 7-5 4-6 7-5 win over Lauren Fraine.
Carolyn Jackson got one back for Okaiawa/Manaia with a 6-4 6-2 win over Helena
Goodin but then Brittany Carr dispatched Georgia Jackson 6-2 6-0. All of
the doubles matches were decided with tiebreaks involved and Okaiawa/Manaia won
three of them and also the No.1 combines to briefly take the lead in the tie.
However,Rotokare held their nerve and with the aid of a tiebreak win in the No.3
combines, prevailed 9-7 overall.
Oakura needed a big win to try and finish top of the premiership when they
hosted Stratford but a retirement and a subsequent defaulted doubles match hurt
their chances somewhat. In what seemed to be a theme for the day, Oakura
led 5-3 after singles play. Graeme Mitchell, Brady Simpson and Craig Waite
had respective wins over Andy Roberts (6-1 6-0), Bruce Cleland (6-2 7-6) and
Michael Boland (6-3 6-0) but Stratford's Grant Kite scored a good win over Len
Adamson 6-2 6-2. In the ladies, Stratford's Lyn Stanners held a 5-2 lead over
Bailey Bruckner before Bruckner retired from the match. Reagan Boland
helped Stratford along with a 7-6 6-4 win over Chris Davies. Oakura's
ever-reliable Jackie Keenan beat Mylie Thwaites 6-3 6-0 ably assisted by Poppy
Mitchell who defeated Katie Stanners 6-7 7-6 6-3. Oakura then took greater
control of the tie winning 3/4 of all doubles matches and winning outright 11-5.
The Soffe Cup semi-finals will be played March 5th with Huatoki hosting Rotokare
and Oakura welcoming Pukekura. The Wilson Trophy semi-finals will have
Matapu playing Inglewood and Pukekura hosting Hawera.
Soffe Cup scorecards
Huatoki 12 Pukekura 4
Ajeet Rai b Dani Guerra 6-2 6-1
Jayden Harrison b Meto Snegirev 6-1 6-1
Alistair Nairn lost to Andrew Hood 6-4 6-4
Murray Keast b Thomson Matuku 6-1 3-6 6-2
Hikaru Han b Donna Thorne 6-0 6-2
Tracey Old lost to Marcella Jones 6-3 5-7 6-1
Ellen O'Byrne lost to Nikayla Barnard 6-1 6-1
Chris Wilson b Jeanette Harding 6-1 6-3
Rai/Harrison b Guerra/Snegirev 6-2 6-2
Nairn/Keast b Hood/Matuku 6-4 7-5
Han/Old lost to Thorne/Jones 6-4 6-0
O'Byrne/Wilson b Barnard/Harding 6-1 5-7 13-11
Rai/Wilson b Guerra/Jones by def
Harrison/Han b Snegirev/Thorne 9-3
Nairn/O'Byrne b Hood/Barnard 9-4
Keast/Old b Matuku/Harding 9-3
Rotokare 9 Okaiawa/Manaia 7
Malcolm Elder lost to Vince Baylis 6-4 2-6 6-1
Shane Devlin b Ryan Stockman 6-4 6-1
John Lehman lost to Josh Murdoch 3-6 7-5 7-6(10)
Richard Sumpter b Andrew Baylis 6-7(5) 7-5 6-2
Tania Atkinson b Catherine Blom 6-2 6-2
Chantelle Peters b Lauren Fraine 7-5 4-6 7-5
Helena Goodin lost to Carolyn Jackson 6-4 6-2
Brittany Carr b Georgia Jackson 6-2 6-0
Elder/Devlin b V.Baylis/Stockman 5-7 6-1 10-3
Lehman/Sumpter lost to Murdoch/A.Baylis 6-2 7-6(6)
Atkinson/Peters lost to Blom/Fraine 6-4 7-6
Goodin/Carr lost to C.Jackson/G.Jackson 6-4 2-6 12-10
Elder/Atkinson lost to V.Baylis/Fraine 9-2
Devlin/Goodin b Stockman/C.Jackson 9-5
Lehman/Peters b Murdoch/Blom 9-8(2)
Sumpter/Carr b A.Baylis/G.Jackson 9-6
Oakura 11 Stratford 5
Graeme Mitchell b Andy Roberts 6-1 6-0
Brady Simpson b Bruce Cleland 6-2 7-6
Len Adamson lost to Grant Kite 6-2 6-2
Craig Waite b Michael Boland 6-3 6-0
Bailey Bruckner lost to Lynn Stanners 5-2 ret
Jackie Keenan b Mylie Thwaites 6-3 6-0
Chris Davies lost to Reagan Boland 7-6 6-4
Poppy Mitchell b Katie Stanners 6-7 7-6 6-3
Mitchell/Simpson b Roberts/Cleland 6-4 6-3
Adamson/Waite b Kite/Boland 6-3 2-6 10-4
Bruckner/Keenan lost to Stanners/Stanners by def
Davies/Mitchell b Thwaites/Boland 0-6 6-1 10-6
Mitchell/Keenan b Roberts/Thwaites 9-2
Simpson/Bruckner lost to Cleland/L.Stanners 9-5
Adamson/Davies b Kite/Boland 9-3
Waite/Mitchell b Boland/K.Stanners 9-3
Results
Soffe Cup
Huatoki 12 Pukekura 4, Rotokare 9 Okaiawa/Manaia 7, Oakura 11 Stratford 5.
Wilson Trophy
Pukekura 13 Okaiawa/Manaia 3, Matapu 9 Inglewood 7, Huatoki 10 Hawera 6.
Sumpter Trophy
Pukekura 14 Huatoki 2, Hawera 10 Rotokare 6, Oakura b South Combined by default.
Points
Soffe Cup
Huatoki 118, Oakura 116.5, Pukekura 97, Rotokare 77.5, Stratford 68.5,
Okaiawa/Manaia 62.5.
Wilson Trophy
Matapu 126.5, Pukekura 121, Hawera 115, Inglewood 111, Huatoki 95.5,
Okaiawa/Manaia 48.
Sumpter Trophy
Pukekura 61, Oakura 49, Rotokare 46, Huatoki 37, Hawera 33, Stratford 22,
South Combined 20.