TABLE-topping Denbury Imports selected their strongest side for the visit of second-placed NA Batmen.

Batmen started well, with Dennis Gibbs overcoming Rory Harries and Nick Halse beating Naomi Jackson, but that was as good as it got for the Newton Abbot side as they lost six singles’ matches in a row, with Dawid Gawron unbeaten for the Imports, who eventually triumphed 7-3.

Imports then went to Halwell to further increase their lead at the top with a convincing 9-1 victory.

A Patrik Cincala maximum helped Torbay Academy 1 to a narrow 6-4 victory over Brixham Gulls.

Kris Piwowar remains unbeaten in the league but his side, Torbay Academy 2, came up against a fine all round performance from third-placed Brixham Sharks, going down 4-6.

Brixham Imports’ two wins keeps the pressure on Division Two leaders NA Buzzards. The Brixham club came away from Dawlish Aces with an 8-2 win, with Alan Maynard and Nick Williamson unbeaten, then went to Torbay Academy 3 and picked up a narrow 6-4 win, with all their players contributing to the victory.

In response, NA Buzzards had a fine 9-1 win over Taverners, for whom Colin Harrop prevented the whitewash, but Buzzards’ Ed Crawford and Mike Dummett proved too good for an improving Taverners’ side.

Torbay Academy 3 did pick up their first win of the season thanks to a Dan Webster-Hall maximum as they defeated bottom side Denbury Tykes 6-4, while NA Eagles shared the points with Marldon.

Steve Metcalfe was in scintillating form for Division Three leaders Marldon Tykes, who brushed aside the challenge of NA Hawks 7-3.

Brixham Diamonds had Chris Meah and Keith Williams unbeaten as they defeated struggling Dawlish Diamonds by the same score.

Drifters, the other Dawlish side in the division, fared no better as they were whitewashed by Torbay Academy 4’s Jerry Hollings, Matt Cooper and reserve Curtis Sage – the Academy side moving up to second in the table.

With Torbay Academy 6 having a week off, Newton Abbot Kestrels, with maximums from Luke Robins and Peter Tarjan, closed the gap at the top with a fine 9-1 win over Torre Tigers, for whom Donna Ryan prevented the whitewash with victory over Harry Usher.

Third-placed NA Kites had Richard Salt to thank following a narrow 6-4 victory over Brixham Swifts. After three singles’ wins he was joined by Lewis Short for the final doubles, eventually securing the win 16-14 in the fifth set.

NA Owls had a similar victory over Pure Torre despite a fine maximum by Ann Morris – Owls’ doubles pairing of Ross Embury and Rob Bayliss came back from two games down to win in five to take the match 6-4.

Brixham Swifts’ Tom Andrews bagged a maximum, but that was all they got as they went down 3-7 to a fine all-round performance from Torbay Academy 5.

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