8 Nov 2014

Farmlands Okaiawa/Manaia and Oakura share the early lead in Soffe Cup after two weeks of play, although third placed RE/MAX Pukekura and fourth placed Huatoki have a game in hand.

Okaiawa/Manaia remains unbeaten this season after disposing of Oakura's challenge 10-6.  Huatoki played their first match of the season and crushed Thomson O'Neil Stratford 14-2, whilst Inglewood Club Inglewood stuttered their way to a 10-6 win over an under-strength Central Finance Rotokare.

Okaiawa/Manaia dominated the men's matches.  Mark Laurence showed good form to defeat a plucky Nick Loveridge 6-1 6-2 in the No.1 matchup.  Vince Baylis and Josh Murdoch were as dominant, defeating Simon Spurdle 6-1 6-0 and Scott Johnson 6-1 6-4 respectively.  Oakura failed to field a No.4 man.  Laurence/Baylis maintained their superiority in the top men's doubles match winning 6-0 6-2.

Oakura's ladies were equally convincing winners of their matches with Danni Fletcher showing a clean pair of heels against Jaimee Baylis 6-0 6-1.  Sue Oldfield and Jackie Keenan were largely untroubled winning their matches 6-1 6-2 and 6-3 6-0 against Carolyn Jackson and Georgia Jackson respectively.  Leah Fletcher had to work just a little harder to overcome Vicki Roberts 6-2 6-3.

With the Okaiawa/Manaia men winning their doubles and the Oakura ladies doing the same, the scores were tied at 6-all going into the combines.  The overall superiority of the men and the shrewd combinations allowed Okaiawa/Manaia to comfortably win all the combines matches and take the victory 10-6.

Huatoki fronted up for their first match of the season with a strong display against bottom placed Thomson O'Neil Stratford.  Huatoki No.1's Ajeet Rai and Chris Wilson were both untroubled, winning their singles 6-0 6-0 over Bruce Cleland and Mylie Thwaites.  They were ably backed up by the rest of their team with David Innes trouncing Grant Kite 6-2 6-1, Chris Avery surprising Michael Boland 6-0 6-3 and Jeremy Wichman very solid against Chris Thwaites 6-1 6-1.  The Huatoki ladies were equally forceful with Ellen O'Byrne beating Katie Stanners 6-1 6-1 and Tracey Old overcoming Kristen Lourie 7-5 6-2.  Georgia Bartosh defaulted her singles to Maree Kydd, thus giving Stratford their first match.

Huatoki took all four doubles matches in straight sets but they weren't as comprehensive as the singles victories.  In the combines, Wichman/Bartosh dropped the ball by letting Chris Thwaites and Maree Kydd sneak a second win for Stratford.

Inglewood had home-court privilege and the further advantage of the opposition not fronting up with a full complement of players when they hosted Rotokare.  The best match of the day was between two newcomers at No.1, Diego Carrasco for Inglewood and Leandro Fossa for Rotokare.  Carrasco came out triumphant in a long and grueling match 7-6 3-6 7-6.  Shane Devlin (Rot), at 2, replied with a good win over Malcolm Masters 6-4 6-1.  Inglewood's depth in the men's ranks then showed when Campbell Mace won his 10^th interclub singles in a row, over Jaden Hareb 6-1 6-3 and Derek Spurdle kept John Lehman subdued 6-4 6-3, having lost only one of his last 13 interclub matches.

Karen Cranston (Rot) showed her strength by overcoming former Taranaki rep, Krystal Oakes 6-3 6-3 but Inglewood's Shona Salisbury replied with a 6-1 6-2 win over Hannah Trevis. 
The remaining two ladies singles went to Inglewood as Rotokare couldn’t find a 3^rd and 4^th female to complete the team.  Inglewood led 6-2 after the singles but perhaps surprisingly, let Rotokare share the doubles.  Fossa/Devlin taking the top men's doubles 6-4 6-1 and Cranston/Trevis taking the top ladies doubles 6-2 7-5.  Mace/Spurdle were fortunate to survive an onslaught from the Rotokare bottom men's pairing, Hareb/Lehman, 7-6 7-5.  Both combines that were able to be played, also went to Rotokare; Fossa/Cranston vanquishing Carrasco/Oakes 9-2 and Devlin/Trevis foiling Masters/Salisbury 9-4.  Three wins for Rotokare's Cranston and Devlin and they could be envisioning what might have transpired if their club/team depth had been greater. Inglewood and Rotokare are tied for 5th on the Soffe Cup ladder. 

The next round has Huatoki hosting Inglewood, Pukekura versus Okaiawa/Manaia and Stratford having their first home tie against Rotokare.

 

Farmlands Okaiawa/Manaia 10 Oakura 6

Mark Laurence b Nick Loveridge 6-1 6-2

Vince Baylis b Simon Spurdle 6-1 6-0

Josh Murdoch b Scott Johnson 6-1 6-4

Rhys Butler won by def

Jaimee Baylis lost to Danni Fletcher 6-0 6-1

Carolyn Jackson lost to Sue Oldfield 6-1 6-2

Georgia Jackson lost to Jackie Keenan 6-3 6-0

Vicki Roberts lost to Leah Fletcher 6-2 6-3

Laurence/V.Baylis b Loveridge/Spurdle 6-0 6-2

Murdoch/Butler won by def

Baylis/G.Jackson lost to Fletcher/Fletcher 6-0 6-0

C.Jackson/Roberts lost to Oldfield/Keenan 6-4 6-3

Laurence/Roberts b Loveridge/D.Fletcher 9-4

Baylis/Baylis b Spurdle/Oldfield 9-5

Murdoch/C.Jackson b Johnson/Keenan 9-5

Butler/G.Jackson won by def

 Huatoki 14 Thomson O'Neil Stratford 2

 Ajeet Rai b Bruce Cleland 6-0 6-0

David Innes b Grant Kite 6-2 6-1

Chris Avery b Michael Boland 6-0 6-3

Jeremy Wichman b Chris Thwaites 6-1 6-1

Chris Wilson b Mylie Thwaites 6-0 6-0

Ellen O'Byrne b Katie Stanners 6-1 6-1

Tracey Old b Kristen Lourie 7-5 6-2

Georgia Bartosh lost to Maree Kydd by def

Rai/Innes b Cleland/Kite 6-1 6-4

Avery/Wichman b Boland/C.Thwaites 7-6 6-2

Wilson/O'Byrne b M.Thwaites 7-5 6-3

Old/Bartosh b Stanners/Kydd 6-3 6-4

Rai/Wilson b Cleland/M.Thwaites 9-2

Innes/O'Byrne b Kite/Stanners 9-6

Avery/Old b Boland/Lourie 9-6

Wichman/Bartosh lost to C.Thwaites/Kydd 9-7

Inglewood Club Inglewood 10 Central Finance Rotokare 6

Diego Carrasco b Leandro Fossa 7-6 3-6 7-6

Malcolm Masters lost to Shane Devlin 6-4 6-1

Campbell Mace b Jaden Hareb 6-1 6-3

Derek Spurdle b John Lehman 6-4 6-3

Krystal Oakes lost to Karen Cranston 6-3 6-3

Shona Salisbury b Hannah Trevis 6-1 6-2

Carrasco/Masters lost to Fossa/Devlin 6-4 6-1

Mace/Spurdle b Hareb/Lehman 7-6 7-5

Oakes/Salisbury lost to Cranston/Trevis 6-2 7-5

Carrasco/Oakes lost to Fossa/Cranston 9-2

Masters/Salisbury lost to Devlin/Trevis 9-4

Soffe Cup results

Farmlands Okaiawa/Manaia 10 Oakura 6; Huatoki 14 Thomson O'Neil Stratford 2; Inglewood Club Inglewood 10 Central Finance Rotokare 6

Soffe Cup Points

Farmlands Okaiawa/Manaia 21, Oakura 21, RE/MAX Pukekura 17, Huatoki 16, Inglewood Club Inglewood 15, Central Finance Rotokare 15, Thomson O'Neil Stratford 3.

Wilson Trophy results

RE/MAX Pukekura 9 Stratford/Inglewood 7; McDonalds Real Estate Matapu 15 Sandfords Manaia 1; Oakura/Rotokare 9 Huatoki 7

Wilson Trophy Points

McDonalds Real Estate Matapu 31, Huatoki 19, Okaiawa/Hawera 17, RE/MAX Pukekura 17, Oakura/Rotokare 11, Stratford/Inglewood 11, Sandfords Manaia 2.

Sumpter Trophy results

Oakura/Rotokare 9 Huatoki 7; RE/MAX Pukekura 12 Hawera 4

Sumpter Trophy Points

Oakura/Rotokare 24, RE/MAX Pukekura 20, Huatoki 19, Hawera 9.

Fours results

Pukekura Green 5 Pukekura Gold 1; Huatoki 5 Rotokare 1, Waiwaka def Pihama by def

Fours Points