Cippenham 's first team impress at Senior British Clubs League weekend

Martin Adams

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Cippenham’s first team continued to impress in the Senior British Clubs League, keeping the pressure on at the top of National Division B-2 during the second weekend of competition (8–9 November).

Hosting the event, Cippenham made it a perfect four wins from four, yet despite their unbeaten weekend, they remain third in the table after eight of the 14 scheduled matches. Like Fusion 3 and Waterside, they sit on 14 points from a possible 16, but an inferior sets aggregate keeps them just outside the top two. Still, with a six-point cushion over fourth place, Cippenham look well on course for a top-three finish when the league resumes in the new year.

The weekend began with a 6–3 victory over Joola Plymouth 2 on Saturday morning. Things started shakily when Dave Barr, returning after missing the opening weekend, was beaten 3–0 by Harry Cutler. However, from there, only Steve Munson’s first game and the doubles set slipped away from the hosts in what was otherwise a commanding performance.

Team captain Martin Adams took Player of the Match honours after dominant 3–0 wins against both Bailey Page and Cutler. Rob Hansell also bagged two wins, battling hard to overcome Toby Matacott after a straight-sets success over Herbie Sage, who also lost to Barr.

Cippenham repeated the scoreline in the afternoon, registering another 6–3 win, this time against Foresters. Their only setbacks came against Munson, while Hansell, after beating Peter Stahlman, suffered an injury in the doubles that forced him to withdraw from his remaining singles match — and ultimately from Sunday’s play.

Dave Barr claimed Player of the Match honours with emphatic victories over Mark Collins and Stahlman, while Adams maintained his unbeaten streak, seeing off Collins comfortably and digging deep to overcome Dan Young in four games.

With Hansell sidelined and Munson replaced, Shae Thakker and Hari Gehlot were promoted into the first team for Sunday’s matches — and both rose to the challenge in style.

The day opened with a huge test against previously unbeaten Waterside, and even though Adams had a rare off-day, Cippenham delivered their performance of the weekend.

Thakker starred, defeating both James Mason and Sam Ricks, while Barr contributed vital wins over Ricks and Adam Klos. Gehlot made his mark too — first teaming up with Adams to win the doubles, then sealing the overall 5–4 victory with a clinical straight-sets win over Mason.

Cippenham rounded off their perfect weekend with their closest match, edging Gwent 5–4. Adams earned Player of the Match for the second time, beating Toby Harwood and Patrick Thomas, while the remaining wins were shared evenly among his three teammates. With the contest poised at 4–4, Gehlot once again held his nerve, dispatching Scott Johnston 3–0 to complete the job.

Across the hall, Cippenham’s second team enjoyed a weekend of mixed fortunes in Division C-5, finishing with two wins and two defeats.

England under-11 champion Sai Prasanna Kumar led the way in their opening 6–3 victory over Falmouth Docks, the bottom side in the division. His wins over Chris Peters and Anthony Vingoe proved crucial, while his brother Bharath also took two solid victories against Vingoe and Aiden Rollason. Hari Gehlot and Louis Alexander chipped in with one win apiece, both losing only to Falmouth’s top player, Tobit Dehren.

The first setback came later on Saturday, a 6–3 defeat to Horsham, who completed the weekend with a perfect 4–0 record. Cippenham trailed 6–0 before rallying to take the final three sets and restore some pride.

On Sunday, George Driscoll replaced Gehlot at number four, pushing his teammates up one spot in the order — and the reshuffle paid off. Cippenham’s young squad produced a fine 6–3 victory over Newton Abbot. Driscoll earned Player of the Match with wins over Wim Faassen and Paul Davey, while Alexander, promoted to number one, impressed with triumphs against Kevin Nicholls and Michael Hugh. Both Prasanna Kumar brothers also won their opening singles as Cippenham stormed into a 4–0 lead.

However, the weekend ended on a slightly disappointing note with a 6–3 loss to Isle of Wight. Even so, Sai Prasanna Kumar shone once again, taking both his matches — including a sensational win over Chris Hannides — while Driscoll added a victory over Andy Prince.

A perfect four wins for the first team and strong displays from the second mean it was a hugely positive weekend for Cippenham overall. With form, depth, and team spirit all on display, both squads will return after the winter break confident of continuing their push up the tables when the league resumes in the new year.