Brotherhood E crowned Division Three Handicap Challenge champions

In the final, Duncan Dunne, Tony Edmonds and Rodney Betts proved too good for Windsor Penguins, winning 5-2 to cap a highly-successful season, having already been crowned division three winners.

Jackie Bunce and Paul Dale (+1), of the Penguins, got on the scoresheet first by taking an unlikely victory after losing the first two sets and being 9-7 down in the fifth against Edmonds and Betts (-3).

However, Brotherhood exerted control and won the next three singles.

Dunne (-3) beat Alan Charman (+1), coming back from 10-1 down in the second set to win 13-11, Betts (-3) beat Bunce (+1) despite some audacious hitting from the Penguins' player, while Edmonds (-3) overcame Dale (+1) in a clash of youthful super-vets.

The Penguins reduced the deficit when Dale and Charman (+1) took advantage of a generous ration of nets and edges to win the middle doubles against Betts and Dunne (-3).

But Dunne (-5) defeated Bunce (+1), the fourth set seeing Dunne retrieve his handicap at 0-6, level at 6-all, go down 10-6, before winning 12-10.

That left Edmonds (-1) to administer the last rites, defeating Charman (+1) to end the valiant Penguins' challenge.

Final results: (Brotherhood E players named first): T Edmonds/R Betts (-3) lost to J Bunce/P Dale (+1) 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 9-11; D Dunne (-3) beat A Charman (+1) 11-5, 13-11, 11-4; Betts (-3) beat Bunce (+1) 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5; Edmonds (-3) beat Dale (+1) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8; Dunne/Betts (-3) lost to Charman/Dale (+1) 11-7, 9-11, 12-10, 4-11, 5-11; Dunne (-5) beat Bunce (+1) 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10; Edmonds (-1) beat Charman (+1) 11-4, 11-8, 11-8.

In the second semi-final of the Handicap Knockout Cup, division two champions Brotherhood I qualified for the final with a nailbiting 5-4 win over first division Nomads Lions.

In a seesaw match, Brotherhood won all three doubles.

In the opening doubles, Brotherhood's Paul Alden and Graham Parkes (+1) beat Jason Lloyd and Adam Wilkin (-1) 11-9 in the fifth.

But the Lions had two close singles victories, Jason Lloyd (-3) defeating Parkes (+1) 11-8 in the decider in match four and Ethan Lloyd (-3) edging out Alden (+1) 14-12 in the decider in match six.

In the final doubles, the pairs changed ends at 5-all but Alden and John Owen (+1) showed great assurance to take the match 11-8 in the fifth against Ethan and Jason Lloyd (-1).

In the final, Brotherhood I will play Windsor Condors.

It takes place on Tuesday, April 30 at the Brotherhood Hall.

In division one, Brotherhood D lost 9-1 to Windsor Hawks which means they will definitely finish in the second relegation place alongside Lawford, defeated 10-0 by Walton B.

In division two, Brotherhood F finished their programme by beating Windsor Buzzards 7-3, having fielded the same three players - Barry Allen, Lee Allen and Shaun Beckham - in every league match.

Results: Division Three Handicap Challenge: final: Windsor Penguins 2 Brotherhood E 5.

Handicap Knockout Cup: semi-final: Brotherhood I 5 Nomads Lions 4.

League: Division one: Brotherhood D 1 Windsor Hawks 9; Lawford 0 Walton B 10.

Division two: Brotherhood F 7 Windsor Buzzards 3.