Preparations for the AGM were made at the recent committee meeting.
The following team changes have been notified to the committee:
1 new team has entered the FourTwo League
2 teams have withdrawn from the Mixed League
1 team has transferred from the Mixed League to the FourTwo League
1 team has transferred from the FourTwo League to the Mixed League
1 team has withdrawn from the FourTwo League
The Presentation Evening was enjoyed by all those who attended, and new cups were presented to the Division One winners in both Leagues.
Congratulations to Simon Watson and Wendy Field who are the only regular players to have completed the season with a 100% record, winning every rubber that they played in - well done.
Congratulations to Charmouth 2 who have beaten Crewkerne Hermitage in the final of the KnockOut Cup, but in the plate final Charmouth 1 failed to make it a clean sweep for the club as they were narrowly defeated by Bishops Caundle.
Budmouth have finished in 2nd place behind Durnovaria in the FourTwo League thanks to a last-gasp victory over Yeovil Graduates. The 7-2 win means that the two teams finish with the same number of points, but Budmouth have won more matches so are placed higher.
And finally....
Waited all season, got close on a couple of occasions, and then like London buses they come along in pairs.
We're talking about the highest possible score in a single game, 30-29.
First blood goes to Bob Jones and Sandra Wayman for Dorchester 2 in the match against Portland Red Triangle. The unlucky pair were Neil Fuller and Mandy Powell.
Then just a week later, at the same venue, Steve Grier and Wendy Quant achieved the same score for Bridport Royals 1 against the Dorchester2 pairing of Rob Cole and Angela Richards. This was perhaps even more nerve-wracking as this was the deciding 3rd game in the last rubber of the match!
WOW!
Congratulations to Westland 1 who have clinched top place in Divison One following victory over Yeovil Graduates. Weymouth Falcons finish in third place ahead of Dorchester 1.
At the bottom its still undecided who will join Gryphon in Division Two next season following victory for Westland 2 and defeat for both Bridport Royals 1 and Wessex Wanderers 1.
In Division Two, both Wessex Wanderers 2 and Smallmex had already clinched their promotion spots, while Bishops Caundle's victory over Charmouth 1 means they finish 3rd and 4th respectively.
Congratulations to Durnovaria who have been crowned inaugural champions of the FourTwo League despite losing their final match to Bridport Royals who are currently in 4th place behind Yeovil Graduates and Budmouth. All three teams still have a match to play.
Defeat for Gryphon has resulted in their relegation from Division One. Bridport Royals 1 are now a single point from safety and it is between Wessex Wanderers 1 and Westland 2 to avoid relegation.
In Division Two, congratulations to Smallmex who have been promoted because Charmouth 1 lost their latest match. Bishops Caundle move into 3rd spot following victory over Dorchester 3. Smallmex will join Wessex Wanderers 2 in the top division next season.
It's still all to play for in the FourTwo League, where 3rd placed Budmouth suffered defeat at Bridport and Durnovaria beat Yeovil Graduates to increase their slender lead.
Budmouth have moved into 3rd spot in the FourTwo League following victory over leaders Durnovaria, but an un-expected defeat for Yeovil Graduates at the hands of Crewkerne Hermitage means they failed to take advantage of the situation and they remain in second spot.
Top spot in the Mixed League will be decided after the two top teams play each other on the 11th. A single point for leaders Westland 1 will give them the title ahead of Yeovil Graduates. Three consecutive victories for Weymouth Falcons confirms that they will finish in 3rd place ahead of Dorchester 1.
Victory for Smallmex over Charmouth 2 and a surprise defeat for Charmouth 1 at the hands of Dorchester 3 means that Smallmex and not Charmouth 1 are likely to gain promotion to Division One along with leaders Wessex Wanderers 2.
Congratulations to Wessex Wanderers 2 who have been declared Champions of Mixed Division Two following Charmouth 1's defeat by Smallmex. It's now between these two teams and Bishops Caundle for the second promotion place.
Both matches in Division Two of the Mixed League were conceded and the award of the victory to Portland Red Triangle means they have won their first match of the season and move ahead of Bridport Royals 2.
Both Westland 1 and Yeovil Graduates continue to sweep all before them at the top of Division One, but the points dropped by Yeovil Graduates against 3rd-placed Weymouth Falcons may prove costly as Westland 1 now have a seven point lead with only two matches to play.
The junior tournament gets more popular every year.
Congratulations to Emily McCurdy who retained her trophy for a second year, and to Andrew Frampton who went one better than last time by winning the Boys trophy.
Congratulations to Paul Bowden and Mark Cummins for winning the inaugural Mens Doubles Handicap Tournament. The results were very close and everyone was in with a shout right until the final match was played.
Also congratulations to the Falcons pairing of Mark Yeandle and Debbie Gould who won all of their matches to take the Mixed Handicap Tournament.
In the FourTwo league, there was victory for Bridport Royals over Wessex Wanderers which opens a slight gap between themselves and Budmouth who have games in hand. The fight for the title could be decided this week as the top two teams face each other on Wednesday.
In the Mixed league, Wessex Wanderers 2 have confirmed promotion from Division Two following victory away at Cerne Abbas, though they are not yet guaranteed the top spot. Charmouth 1 kept alive their slim chance of overhauling the leaders with a comfortable 9-0 victory over Bridport Royals 2, moving them into 2nd spot ahead of Smallmex.
In Division One, Dorchester 1 had a walk-over victory against Westland 2 which did nothing to help the Yeovil-based team's fight to avoid relegation. The other matches were very close affairs, with wins for Westland 2 over Bridport Royals, Dorchester 2 over Wessex Wanderers 1 and Wessex Wanderers 1 over Gryphon.
At the committee meeting the draw was made for the semi-finals of the KO Plate competition. The only result was that Yeovil Graduates beat Wessex Wanderers 1 in the preliminary match.
Preparations were finalized for the Presentation Evening on May 16th. Ticket price will be the same as last year (£10) and information will shortly be sent to team reps.
Westland 1 now lead in Division One of the Mixed league following a 9-0 victory over Dorchester 2.
In Division Two, runaway leaders Wessex Wanderers 2 need only one more victory to guarantee promotion.
Both Yeovil Graduates and Durnovaria continue to defeat all-comers with the Yeovil team currently leading the way in the FourTwo League.
Yeovil Graduates, Westland 1 and Weymouth Falcons continue to slaughter everyone else in Division One, although Bridport Royals 1 were able to take a single rubber from the leaders (well done Phil and Fiona). This leaves Yeovil Graduates only 5 points clear of Westland 1 having played a game more.
A close match between Westland 2 and Wessex Wanderers 1 saw the Westland side victorious and this moves them above Gryphon who now occupy last spot.
In Division Two, victory for Bishops Caundle moves them into 3rd place just behind Charmouth 1, but both teams are still well adrift of leaders Wessex Wanderers 2 who are now 28 points clear at the top.
Only one result in the FourTwo league sees Durnovaria move into 2nd place behind leaders Yeovil Graduates but with games in hand.
Congratulations to Ali Caller (Wessex Wanderers) and Damian Noake (Crewkerne Hermitage) who were victorious in the Partner Swap Tournament held last night. Full details can be found by following the link.
Yeovil Graduates lead in Division One despite losing their home match against Westland 1, and Weymouth Falcons were forced to concede their match against Bridport Royals 1 as they were unable to field a team. This has given the Bridport side some unexpected points and they have moved into a safer mid-table position as a result.
In Division Two, leaders Wessex Wanderers 2 scored a walk-over against Charmouth 2 who failed to field a team and this increases their lead at the top of the division to a massive 17 points ahead of Charmouth 1.
Two comfortable wins for Yeovil Graduates has moved them to the top of the FourTwo League ahead of Durnovaria. At the foot of the table are Crewkerne who lost heavily to Wessex Wanderers who in turn lost a close match against Cerne Abbas.
At the committee meeting the draw was made for the semi-finals of the KO Cup and Plate competitions. The results from the previous round saw close victories for Cerne Abbas and Charmouth 2 and slightly more convincing victories for Wessex Wanderers 2 and Crewkerne Hermitage.
Westland 1 continue to lead in Division One of the Mixed League following victory over bottom team Gryphon while Weymouth Falcons move into 3rd spot behind Yeovil Graduates and ahead of Dorchester 1.
In Division Two, Charmouth 1 move into 2nd spot ahead of Smallmex following a couple of very close 5-4 victories and Charmouth 2 move into mid-table.
Victory for Durnovaria over Bridport Royals has opened a 5-point gap at the top of the Four-Two League. Both Budmouth and Yeovil Graduates remain in touch, while Charmouth's failure to field a full team cost them dearly against Cerne Abbas.
Congratulations to Gryphon who have won their first match in Division One, beating Bridport Royals 1. The victory moves them off the bottom spot, but there's not much to choose between any of the teams at the foot of the table. Westland 1 kept their unbeaten run going with a comprehensive 9-0 defeat of Wessex Wanderers 1. They did however drop a game (not much I know, but a moral victory of sorts to Stephen and Mary), the only game that they've dropped so far except in the match against Weymouth Falcons.
Wessex Wanderers 2 beat 3rd placed Charmouth 1 to open a commanding lead in Division Two. Smallmex remain in 2nd place while Bishops Caundle beat Dorchester 3 in a close match and move into 4th spot. Meanwhile Portland Red Triangle remain at the bottom following defeat at Bridport Royals 2.
In the FourTwo League, Crewkerne Hermitage lost a close match to bottom team Charmouth 1 and followed this with another defeat, this time to 4th placed Yeovil Graduates.
Bishops Caundle have beaten Dorchester in the only KO Cup 1st round match and the draw for the second round has been made.
A walkover against Charmouth and victory over Cerne Abbas has moved Bridport Royals to the top of the FourTwo League ahead of Durnovaria. Neither Charmouth nor Cerne Abbas have yet recorded a victory in the new format.
In the Mixed League, victory for Charmouth 1 over Dorchester 3 maintains their 3rd spot behind Smallmex and leaders Wessex Wanderers 2 in Division Two. Meanwhile in Division One, both Yeovil Graduates and Westland 1 have cruised through their latest matches, while Bridport Royals 1 beat Dorchester 2 in a very close match.
The Division One Tournament trophy will have new names inscribed upon it this season for the first time in 13 years. Barry Harriss has won this tournament with various partners since 1984 but had to settle for 2nd place this year. His grip was finally broken by Peter & Kelly Fairey, although not without a fight, particularly in the second set of the final.
Sadly the Division two Tournament had to be cancelled due to a lack of entries.
Durnovaria win again to maintain their unbeaten run in the FourTwo league. A close match against Yeovil Graduates saw them victorious by 5 games to 4. Bridport Royals move into 3rd spot following victory at Wessex Wanderers.
In Mixed Division Two, Wessex Wanderers 2 turned up to their match at Smallmex with only two pairs and suffered their first defeat of the season. They remain top with Smallmex still in 2nd place and Charmouth1, with games in hand, in 3rd.
Gryphon remain bottom in Division One following their fourth straight defeat, this at the hands of Wessex Wanderers 1. However they so nearly won their first match in the top flight in a very close finish where 6 of the rubbers went to a deciding game, and one game finished 27-25, the highest score so far recorded in either league. Meanwhile Weymouth Falcons emphasised the gulf between the top and bottom by beating Wanderers 9-0 a few days later.
Westland 1 defeated Weymouth Falcons in a top match but remain behind Yeovil Graduates and Dorchester 1 at the top of Mixed Division One. However they still have games in hand over the teams above them.
Smallmex have ended Charmouth 1's unbeaten run and move into 2nd spot behind Wessex Wanderers 2 in Division Two. Charmouth 1 remain in third with games in hand.
Durnovaria remain top of the FourTwo league ahead of Budmouth who comprehensively beat Cerne Abbas.
In Mixed Division One, Yeovil Graduates are top ahead of Dorchester 1, but both Westland 1 and Weymouth Falcons have games in hand and remain unbeaten. Gryphon have yet to find their feet having been promoted last season.
Wessex Wanderers 2 lead the way in Division Two following another 9-0 victory, with Samllmex in 2nd place and Charmouth 1 in 3rd with games in hand.
Durnovaria top the FourTwo league after a comprehensive 9-0 victory over Crewkerne Hermitage, while Yeovil Graduates have raised themselves off the bottom and into 3rd place following back-to-back victories.
Six weeks into the new season and things are starting to take shape.
he new FourTwo League is progressing and there's a very unfamiliar look to the league table, where Yeovil Graduates find themselves at the wrong end, albeit they've played only one match. Durnovaria and Budmouth are both unbeaten so far, with Bridport close behind.
In the Mixed League, a more familiar picture is developing with Yeovil Graduates holding top spot in Division One ahead of Dorchester 1. Almost all of the matches played so far have had fairly one-sided scorelines, and this is evident in the table where there's already a huge divide separating the top four teams from the rest. However, the greater number of teams in the division should give those at the bottom some respite.
Division Two has a more even spread of standards, and Wessex Wanderers 2 are currently leading the way ahead of Smallmex who they beat 5-4 in a very close match. Charmouth 1 remain in third place as their unbeaten run continues - they have not lost a league match since March 2006.
The Veterans Tournament was held last night.
Barry Harriss & Kerry Mullen (Yeovil Graduates) were victorious, narrowly beating Eric Samways & Gill Bullock (Charmouth).
The draw for the KO Cup Round 1 has been made. Only a single match is due to be played in this preliminary round.
Resulting from the number of teams entered, the time bands for each round have had to be adjusted. The new bands are on the KO Cup page.
The veterans tournament was organised.
The handicap rules were adjusted due to the use of rally-points scoring, with one point being awarded for every 2 years combined age over 80, rather than for every 3 years as previously. Also the maximum handicap allowed was increased from 10 points to 14 points.
All players in both from the Mixed and FourTwo leagues may enter. The tournament will be played purely as a mixed tournament. It is hoped to organise level doubles tournaments later in the season.
The handbooks have all been delivered, and the season is under way. This season is the first using the rally-points scoring system, and I'm sure there'll be a few perplexed players on court and one or two "discussions" about the score!
The first league tables will be available at the start of October.
Tony Pryce was re-elected as the League's sponsor, but with a change of shuttle manufacturer. Instead of Carlton we will be using Yonex shuttles for the 2007/8 season and these can be purchased through the treasurer.
Gryphon once again declined to fulfil their obligation to provide someone to fill the post of Vice-Chairman for the coming season. The next team on the rota was Budmouth and Kevin Stenlake has volunteered to fill the post.
The fixture meeting was held for both the Mixed and FourTwo Leagues and the fixtures are being collated. They will be available on the website soon and the handbook should be available towards the end of August.
The colour for the new season is to be blue - this will apply to the handbook, scoresheets and website.
A couple of teams have withdrawn from the League and together with the teams that have switched allegiance to the new FourTwo League it was decided that the Mixed League had to be re-formatted. This has resulted in the loss of a division and so there will be only two divisions for 2007/8 with 9 teams in each.
The introduction of the new FourTwo League has encouraged a few new teams and will start with a single division of 8 teams.
Overall, the total number of teams in the WDBL has increased for the first time in many years.
At the EGM, the following resolutions were passed unanimously.