The young Cippenham second team eclipsed their first team when the Women’s British League got underway at Wolverhampton over the weekend. Featuring Cippenham’s two brightest young juniors, Rachael Iles and Anna Piercey, together with wheelchair-bound GB para international Lucie Bouron, their list of great results and high sportsmanship even earned them the accolade of “Team of the Weekend”. Unfortunately, because their final match of the weekend was cancelled, their opponents Jersey having been struck down by Covid, they were no longer at the venue to receive their prize.

Cippenham B’s only dropped point of the weekend came in their opening encounter, a 3-3 draw with Drumchapel Glasgow 3. Rachael, recently elevated to number six in the England cadet girls’ ranking list, starred in this match, winning both her singles. Anna won one and came close to giving Cippenham both points when she lost her second match narrowly 12-10 in the fifth and deciding game having led by two games to one.

Halton 4 were then summarily dismissed 6-0 and Saturday’s matches concluded with a 4-2 win over St Neots. Anna, this time, was Cippenham’s hero while Lucie and Rachael won one each, both losing to the opponent’s number one player Stefania Popa.

On to Sunday morning and it was Leeds who were put to the sword by Cippenham B, again by the score of 4-2. Leeds’ number one player Rebecca Savage did beat both Lucie and Rachael but Cippenham held on to win the other four matches, albeit three of them were very close affairs in the deciding games. On this occasion, Anna, twice, and Lucie, held their nerve to bring Cippenham maximum points.

By contrast, the Cippenham first team, featuring veteran players, suffered poor results in Division 3, one division above the second team. Their highlight came in the final match of the weekend with a 3-3 draw against Graham Spicer Club. Mary Heffernan’s brace against Medha Verma and Michelle McGovern paved the way for Cippenham and Denise Weller secured the only league point of the weekend by defeating Verma in the deciding set.

In their penultimate match, Denise was named player of the match despite being on the losing side, 4-2, against Draycott 3. Denise won both her games but was not supported this time by Mary or Julie Dean. The remainder of the weekend provided bleak results for Cippenham A who succumbed 5-1 to Wensum and 6-0 to both Youngs and Drumchapel Glasgow 2.