Saturday 24 February
Both Ladies’ teams had ties against Windsor in their final matches of the season and both are bottom of their respective divsions having finished with 0-4 defeats. Hopefully they will both have a more enjoyable experience in lower divisions next winter!
Ladies’ 1 were away against Windsor 3 in Division 4 while Ladies’ 2 were at home to Windsor 4 in Division 7.
Sunday 18 February
All three Men’s teams scored points on this, the final scheduled weekend of matches in the Men’s Doubles League.
Men’s 1 had a tricky away fixture against Twyford 1 in Division 2 and finished with a point from a 2-2 draw, losing by 3 games. Peter Collier/Russell Finch lost 1-6 1-6 to the strong Tom Wills/Jonathon Noy pairing but Pete and Ollie Walker levelled the match with a 6-3 6-1 win against Paul Farris/Andy Vyronos. Walker/Walker lost 4-6 1-6 to Wills/Noy but Collier/Finch beat Farris/Vyronos 6-2 6-4 to make it 2-2 on rubbers but 31-34 on games. The point means the team finishes 4th in the Division.
Men’s 2 also faced Twyford, their 2nd team at home In Division 4. Their 3-1 win puts them safe at 5th in the Division with a postponed match against BCS to play, although it would make no significant difference to the final positions. Dave Smith/Luke Tearall beat Nicholas Webb/Gerard Stewart 6-4 6-3 and Matt Paxton/Andy Valner won 6-2 6-2 against Andy Barden/Ponraj Ramasubbu, to give the team a 2-0 lead at the halfway point. Smith/Tearall then secured the 3 points with a 6-0 6-3 win over Barden/Ramasubbu and Paxton/Valner very nearly made it a clean sweep, only just losing 7-5 5-7 0-1 in a titanic battle against Webb/Stewart.
At home to Wargrave 3 in Division 5W, Men’s 3 did well to secure a winning draw by 2 games. Although in 6th place and still in danger of relegation, they have two postponed matches, against Wokingham 4 and Twyford 3 which, if played, could take them to safety with good results in both. Jamie Rowe/Ben Walker had a tough first rubber, losing 3-6 4-6 to Gary Westwood/Michael Simpson but Johnny & Alex Rynhoud won a tremendously close battle with Richard Hodgkins/Paul Macdonald 7-5 5-7 1-0 to level the match. Rowe/Walker came good in round two to win 6-0 6-3 against Hodgkins/Macdonald and Rynhoud/Rynhoud nearly clinched the clear win but lost 7-6 3-6 0-1 in another epic rubber to Westwood/Simpson.
Sunday 11 February
It was success for our Boys 11U team and the Das twins away against Windsor, despite Shaurya losing his singles 2-4 2-4 against Boris Stankov. Arya had an emphatic 4-2 4-1 win over Cassius Meyer and the pair won their doubles 4-1 4-2 to make it 2-1 in rubbers.
Saturday 3 February
Ladies’ 1 were unlucky not to win at least a point in their Division 4 match at home to Shinfield 1. Tina Stern/Cath Sillitoe lost a deciding tiebreak against Anna Allen/Tracy Gale in their first rubber and Penny Hemingway/Jenny Sheppard did the same in theirs against Kelly Guiver/Nilu Budd. Stern/Sillitoe won 6-4 6-2 against Guiver/Budd but Hemingway/Sheppard were unable to beat Allen/Gale so the match was lost 1-3.
Ladies’ 2 were away to Shinfield 2 in their Division 7 match and they also suffered a 1-3 defeat, although there were some close rubbers. Bev Arnell/Estelle Cash had a battle against Liz Crotty/Courtney Marsden, losing 7-5 3-6 0-1 while Helen Hodgkinson/Maddy Dunckleywere losing 6-7 2-6 to Navya Babbar/Nicola Mascard. With Hoghkinson/Dunckley losing 1-6 1-6 to Crotty/Marsden, Arnell/Cash salvaged some pride for the Crows side with a 6-2 6-3 win over Babbar/Mascard.
Sunday 28 January
With a depleted squad, it was a tough day at the office for all three Men’s teams on Sunday without a win between them. Men’s 1 faced Maidenhead 3 in Division 2 and, despite 2 recent Men’s Singles champions heading our lineup, they lost 0-4. Ollie Walker/Seb Edwards faced Toby Wheeler/Nigel Mann and lost 1-6 1-6 with coach Nigel Mann using all his years of experience to baffle our young pair. Meanwhile Russell Finch/Peter Collier recovered after losing their first set 0-6 against John Black/Matthew Pallot to reach 6-all anly to lose the tiebreak. Walker/Edwards did better in the second round, losing 4-6 4-6 to Black/Pallot but Finch/Collier lost 0-6 3-6 to Wheeler/Mann.
Men’s 2 travelled to Caversham to play their 3rds in Division 4 and on another day might have salvaged a losing draw. Pete Walker/Matt Paxton lost 2-6 1-6 against Kevin Byrne/Andy Barker while Chris Torkington/Jamie Rowe were losing 2-6 3-6 to Leith Ashurst/Joseph Rogers. Torkington/Rowe started turning the tide in the second round, winning 6-4 6-3 against Barker/Byrne and it looked like Walker/Paxton were doing the same when they won their first set 7-5 against Ashurst/Rogers. But they couldn’t maintain their level and went down 1-6 in the second set to make the match score 1-3.
Men’s 3 travelled down the road to play Wokingham 3 in Division 5W with veteran Jim Hawes teamed up with the relatively young Steve Stow and Johnny Rynhoud paired with his 14 year old son Alex. At leasst we managed to field a team but it was no surprise that the team lost 0-4.
There were also a lot of junior matches played on Sunday. Boys 11U faced Bradfield and lost 0-3. Arya Das lost 0-4 1-4 to Martin Maude Bareham and Ben Weitz lost 2-4 0-4 to MayurJetti before Ben teamed up with Arya’s twin brother Shaurya in the doubles, losing 2-4 0-4. Boys 14U were up against Windsor and also lost 0-3. Elliot Magin lost his singles 1-4 1-4 to Nicolas Buckland, Greg Rynhoud lost 0-4 1-4 to Harrison Sweet and they lost their doubles 0-4 1-4. Boys 14U fared better, travelling to Latika and winning 2-1. It could have been 3-0 but George Campbell lost his tiebreak after sharing the two sets 1-4 4-1 with Daniel Stockle. But Thomas Weitz won his singles 4-4 4-0 against Tristan Lo and then the two won their doubles 4-2 4-2 to win the tie. Girls 18U had a tough tie away at Windsor in Division 2 losing 0-3. Millie Rodhouse very nearly won against Ava Sandher but lost 4-3 3-4 0-1 while Ella Rowntree lost 2-4 2-4 against Arabella Mustill before they lost the doubles 2-4 0-4.
Sunday 21 January
It was a busy day on Sunday with two mixed and three boys teams all playing. Mixed 1 were up against Ascot 3 in Division 5E and were able to field a strong team and win all 4 rubbers in straight sets. Matt Paxton/Tina Stern started with a 6-4 6-1 win over Gail Nash/David Friesen and followed it up with a 6-3 6-3 win against Andy Coughlin/Jojo Southwell. They were ably supported by Luke Tearall/Michaela Appleby who won 6-1 6-1 against Coughlin/Southwell and 6-4 6-4 against Nash/Friesen.
It wasn’t so easy for Mixed 2 who went away to play Bracknell 4 in Division 6E. Facing a strong Bracknell side, Steve Stow/Jenny Sheppard and Andrew Morrison/Wendy Miles lost 0-4.
Boys 12U travelled to play Maidenhead in Division 1, Elliot Maginn and James Logan losing 0-3.
A better result for Boys 16U A who beat Caversham B at home 3-0. After Jake Walbancke and Henry Evan-Hart has both won their singles in straight sets, the doubles went to a deciding tiebreak which the Crows pair won 13-11.
Finally Boys 16U B lost 0-3 to Latika at home with Toby Lapham and Azam Kashif both well beaten.
Sunday 14 January
Our Boys 16U A team had a 2-1 win at home against Riseley in Division 1. Although Ben Walker lost 1-4 3-4 against Joseph Henry, Alex Rynhoud won 4-1 4-2 against Euan Sibley and the pair won their doubles 4-1 4-2.
Saturday 13 January
Our Ladies’ 1 team had a long trip to Newbury to play David Lloyd 1 in Division 4 and were just not strong enough to make an impression on a powerful team, which included the aptly named Penny Toogood, losing 4 rubbers in straight sets.
Ladies’ 2 did slightly better at home against Wellington 3 in Division 7, winning a few more games but still losing 0-4.
2024 – Sunday 7 January
Matches against our local rivals, Bracknell, are always big events and this was no exception with Men’s 1 playing away against Bracknell 2 in Division 2. Both teams needed the points but the Crows pairs both had slow starts. Luke Tearall/Pete Walker lost their first set 3-6 to ex-Crow Tom Gordon and Gavin Burrows but were more competitive in the second despite losing it 5-7. Peter Collier/Russell Finch lost their first set 1-6 but recovered to take a close second 7-6 and clinch the deciding tiebreak against Simon Vickery/Simon Hetem. By the second round Collier/Russell were in fine form, beating Gordon/Burrows 6-4 7-6 while Tearall/Walker cruised through 6-1 6-4 to complete a great victory.
Men’s 2 were at home against Wokingham 2 in Division 4 and the visitors arrived with a very strong team. Matt Paxton/Chris Torkington and Jamie Rowe/Andy Valner found themselves facing David May/Ryan Carson and Michael Elwood/Duncan Coles, names that have featured in Wokingham’s role of honour over the years, and lost 0-4.
Men’s 3 were up against Peppard 2 in Division 5W and, although the visitors’ 1st pair, Anthony l’Anson/Nathan Mcgarvey, were far too strong for either Crows pair, both pairs were competitive against their 2nds, Robert Woodthorpe-Browne/Phil Barry. Johnny Rynhoud, playing with his 14 year old son Alex, won 6-1 7-6 against Woodthorpe-Browne/Barry and Steve Stow/ Ben Walker (15) nearly won against the same pair after a dreadful start but eventually lost 0-6 6-4 0-1 to make the result a 1-3 loss.
Saturday 9 December
Ladies 1 had a tough home tie against Caversham 3 in Division 4 and did well to come away with a point, although is could have been all 3 with a bit of luck. Maggie Ingham/Lorraine Fowler won a tough match against Pamela Durrant/Erika Kaczur on a deciding tiebreak 6-4 3-6 1-0 and Michaela Appleby/Jenny Partridge came close to beating Elizabeth Andersson/Shashi Gadgil but lost 6-7 3-6. It was another long one for Maggie and Lorraine in the second round who went to another deciding tiebreak after a dreadful start, winning 0-6 6-3 1-0 while Michaela and Jenny were losing 3-6 2-6 against the visitors’ 1st pair.
Ladies 2 had to visit Maidenhead to play their 6th team in Division 7 and were unlucky not to come away with a point, losing 1-3. Jenny Sheppard/Maddy Dunckley had a great start, beating the home 1st pair, Shonna Goodwin/Fiona Watson 6-4 6-4. Helen Hodgkinson/Sarah Goodhew just weren’t able to make an impression on either home pair, losing both in straight sets, but Jenny and Maddy nearly grabbed a consolation point, taking Samantha Groffman/Sophie Prentis to a deciding tiebreak but losing 5-7 6-3 0-1.
Sunday 3 December
It was a wet morning when Men’s 1 met Caversham 2 at home in Division 2 and it was clear the visitors were not keen on playing. David Smith/Luke Tearall won a very close rubber against Jason Howell/Gordon Loo 6-7 7-6 1-0 and, with Russell Finch/Pete Walker having won their encounter 2 & 2 against Steven Ratcliffe/Hieu Nguyen Ly, the opposition were quick to agree that the match should be abandoned with the Crows leading 2-0 to take the 3 points for their first win of the season.
Sunday 26 November
Mixed 1 had their second win of the season with a 4-0 victory away over Wargrave 3 in Division 5E. Matt Paxton/Tina Stern lost just 2 games in winning their rubbers 6-0 6-1 and 6-1 6-0 while Andy Valner/Michaela Appleby were winning 6-2 6-2 and 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile, Mixed 2 were winning at 3-1 at home against Wellington in Division 6E who included ex-Crow Mark Callaghan in their side. The Crows team had new junior member Andrei Chercui teamed up with Bev Arnell and they won their first rubber 6-2 6-4 against Denise Ware/Thomas Nash. Jenny Sheppard/Steve Stow had a tough first set but eventually won 7-6 6-1 against Margaret Lucy/Mark Callaghan but then crushed Ware/Nash 6-1 6-0. Chercui/Arnell lost a tight rubber 5-7 2-6 to Lucy/Callaghan but the match was won by then.
Our 16U Boys A team had a very close match away against Windsor A but, after Jake Walbancke had lost his singles 0-4 3-4 to Zachary Munday and Alex Rynhoud had won his 4-3 4-2 against Piers Davis, the pair won the doubles 3-4 4-3 10-7 to take the match 2-1.
The 16U Boys B team were lesss successful away to Caversham Park. Toby Lapham won his singles 4-0 4-3 but Azam Kashif lost his 0-4 0-4 and the pair lost the doubles 0-4 2-4.
Sunday 19 November
Our 12U Boys had a good perfect start to the season away against Windsor B, winning 3-0 and losing just 4 games in the process. James Logan won his singles 4-1 4-2, Elliot Maginn won his 4-1 4-0 and the pair won their doubles 4-0 4-0.
Saturday 18 November
On Saturday, Ladies’ 1 had a winning 2-2 draw at home against Twyford 1 in Division 4. Michaela Appleby/Tina Stern had a good start, winning 6-3 7-6 against the visitors’ first pair. Jenny Partridge/Penny Hemingway nearly made it 2-0 but, despite coming back well to win the second set 7-5 after losing the first 1-6, they lost the deciding tie-break. Appleby/Stern won their second rubber 2 and 2 but Partridge/Hemingway lost theirs 3-6 4-6, so the result was a 5-4 win on sets (40 games to 37) and 2 points to the Crows.
Ladies’ 2 did well to get a point from a 2-2 losing draw away against Bradfield 2 in Division 7 where they found the opposing first pair included former Crows ladies singles champion Lauren Minshull-Beech. Neither Crows pair could make much impression on Lauren and her partner Jane Yamamoto but both pairs won in straight sets against the Bradfield seconds, with Jenny Sheppard/Helen Hodgekinson winning 6-4 6-3 and Natalie Duncan-Brown/Wendy Miles winning 6-3 6-1.
Sunday 12 November
In another busy weekend for the Crows’ teams, Men’s 1 went to Maidenhead to play their 2nd team in Division 2 but Russell Finch/Ollie Walker and Dave Smith/Luke Tearall found them far too strong and lost 0-4 without winning a set, despite coming close on a couple of occasions.
Men’s 2 were at home to Sonning 1 in Division 4 and the 1-3 loss doesn’t reflect how close the match was. The team faced former Crowthorne Men’s Singles champion Chris Dexter, playing in their second pair and Matt Paxton/Chris Torkington did well to win 7-6 6-3 against him and his partner. Jamie Tidbury/Jamie Rowe lost in a deciding against the same pair and the other two rubbers were close as well.
Completing a miserable weekend for the Men’s squad, Men’s 3 had a long trip to play DL Newbury in Division 5W and were unlucky not to come away with a draw, instead losing 1-3. Pete Walker, playing for the 3rds on his return from injury with his son Ben, had no luck, losing both rubbers in straight sets. Steve Stow/Andrew Morrison, however, could have won both of their rubbers, deserving to win their first with a fighting performance despite losing 4-6 7-6 0-1 and taking their second with in a gutsy 1-6 6-4 1-0 win.
Back home, our Boys 16U A team, Jake Walbancke & Alex Rynhoud, were unlucky to lose 1-2 against Caversham A with all three matches going to deciding tie-breaks. Jake lost his singles 2-10 in the breaker while Alex won his 10-7. It was 6-10 in the doubles decider so the win went to Caversham.
It was better news for the Boys 16U B team with Toby Lapham & Azam Kashif winning 2-1 against Slough.
Sunday 5 November
There were fireworks at St Sebastian’s on Sunday when Mixed 1 took on Windsor 4 in Division 5E. The Crows exploded out of the blocks losing just 7 games in the first round as Matt Paxton/Tina Stern and Ollie Walker/Lorraine Fowler won their first rubbers in straight sets. Paxton/Stern continued in the second round winning 2 and 3 but Walker/Fowler slipped up in their first set against the number ones, losing it 2-6, but narrowly winning the second 7-5 to set up the tie-break which they lost to make the final score a 3-1 win for the Crows.
There was another 0-4 defeat for Mixed 2 away in Windsor against Home Park 2 in Division 6E on Sunday although both pairs put in good performances against a strong side.
Our 11U Boys team, Ben Weitz & Henry Law, had a 3-0 win away at Twyford, winninjg 3-0.
At home against Latika, our 18U Boys B team, Will Maynard & Oliver Aylen, won 2-1, winning both singles but losing the doubles.
But it was a 0-3 defeat for our 18U Girls, Michaela Appleby & Lucy Clayton, away against Bradfield.
Saturday 28 October
It was another tough fixture for Ladies’ 1 on Saturday, away to division leaders Bucklebury in Division 4 and going down 1-3. Jenny Partridge/Tina Stern lost a close rubber 5–7 4-6 in the first round and won their second rubber 6-3 4-6 1-0 but Penny Hemingway/Maggie Ingham were unable to make much impression on either pair.
Ladies’ 2 were at home against Home Park 1 in Division 7 and were unlucky to lose 0-4 with two rubbers going to deciding tie-breaks and another a close 2 set loss. Jenny Sheppard/Michaela Appleby lost their first rubber 6-1 1-6 0-1 and their second 5-7 2-6 while Bev Arnell/Estelle Cash lost their first 2-6 1-6 and their second 7-5 3-6 0-1.
Sunday 22 October
Men’s 2 had a potentially tricky away match against Windsor 4 on Sunday in Division 4 and they came away with a 3-1 win, only narrowly failing to make it a clean sweep. Both pairs started slowly as they got used to the conditions with Dave Smith/Russell Finch winning their first rubber 6-2 4-6 1-0 while Matt Paxton/Peter Collier lost narrowly 4-6 6-3 0-1. They were all better in the second round winning all their sets in relatively straightforward manner to secure the win.
Saturday 21 October
Ladies’ 1 were up against DL Royal Berks 3 on Saturday in Division 4 and it was tough ask for our somewhat depleted squad. Jenny Partridge/Michaela Appleby found Cressida Henderson/Anastasia Felton far too strong in the first round, losing 1 and 1 but Penny Hemingway/Maggie Ingham did better against Louisa Atherton/Laura Williams, losing 2 and 3. Partridge/Appleby won their second round match 6-3 3-6 0-1 but Hemingway/Ingham had no answer against the visitors’ first pair, losing 0 and 0 to make the score 1-3.
Sunday 15 October
Mixed 1 started their campaign with a tough away fixture against Bracknell 3 in Division 5E. Ollie Walker/Michaela Applebyhad a battle against the home first pair, winninjg 4-6 6-2 1-0, but Matt Paxton/Estelle Cash just failed to level their rubber after going down 0-6 in the first set and losing 6-7 in the second. The home team were stronger in the second round and the Crows’ pairs battled hard to no avail, losing the match 1-3.
Sunday 8 October
On Sunday our 14U Boys, George Maynard & Thomas Weitz, faced Peppard away and were unlucky to lose 0-3 with two rubbers going to a deciding tiebreak.
Our 18U Boys A team, Seb Edwards & Ollie Walker, lost 0-3 away to a very strong Caversham team with Seb losing his singles 7-10 in the deciding breaker.
Crows’ 18U Boys B team, Will Maynard & Andrei Cherciu, had a tough win at home to Slough with Andrei winning his deciding tiebreak 10-8 and the two winning their doubles breaker 10-3 .
Last but not least, our 18U Girls, Michaela Appleby & Cora Walbancke had a 3-0 win against Wokingham, with Cora winning the deciding tiebreak 10-6 in her singles.
Saturday 7 October
On Saturday, Ladies’ 2 faced a strong Broomhill team in a match in Division 7 that was meant to be away but was played at Crowthorne. Bev Arnell/Sally Thullier and Wendy Miles/Jenny Sheppard all lost their rubbers in straight sets but it was good to see some newer members of the club playing in a team.
Sunday 1 October
Men’s 1 had a tough first outing in the Winter League away against DL Royal Berks 1 in Division 2 on Sunday, losing 0-4 and unable to make much impact against a very strong team.
Men’s 2 faired better in Division 4 at home against Maidenhead 5. Andy Valner/Chris Torkington had a dream start, winning their first set 6-0 against the away first pair, but found it harder in the second set, winning it 7-5. 15 year old Ben Walker teamed up with Johnny Rynhoud against the second pair , losing 0-6 3-6, but, in the second round, Valner/Torkington battled to a 2-6 6-4 1-0 win to secure a point while Walker/Rynhoud were losing 1-6 2-6.