Cippenham’s two teams in the Women’s British Clubs League both enjoyed excellent results as the second and final weekend as the competition concluded at Wolverhampton over the weekend. The first team held on to the lead they enjoyed at the top of Division 2 to finish the season with a one-hundred-percent win record to take the title by six clear points. Meanwhile, the second team remained unbeaten throughout the weekend to claim the runners-up spot in Division 4.

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There were highlights for individual players also. Antonina Bohach replicated her unbeaten record from the first weekend and her twenty wins from as many matches were the greatest contributors to the second team’s success. Rachael Iles, spearheading the first team, could not quite match her flawless record from the first weekend but lost only once throughout the campaign while her teammate Mia Lakhani did remain unbeaten this second weekend to end with a creditable overall record of seventeen out of twenty.

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The first team began their title hunt with a 4-2 win on Saturday morning over Joola Plymouth 2. Rachael Iles and Mia Lakhani both won twice while Anna Piercey was unlucky to lose a close game against Holly Davis. Anna did however, add to the scoreline in the midday match against St Neots which Cippenham won 5-1. The first day’s play ended similarly with another 5-1 result against Draycott 2 with Rachael and Mia again remaining unbeaten even though both were stretched by Millie Noble.

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Sunday morning witnessed another 4-2 win, this time over Drumchapel Glasgow 2. Rachael suffered her only defeat of the entire season but a brace from Mia and one from Anna ensured that the divisional title was destined for Cippenham.

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The final match against second-placed Worthing was supposed to be the title decider but Worthing had dropped points on Saturday evening while losing to Drumchapel Glasgow. Mia got Cippenham off to a very fast start with an emphatic 11-2, 11-4, 11-7 victory over Worthing’s Sally Hughes, ranked only two places below the Cippenham girl. Following that, the contest was more even with Rachael being extended to 11-9 in the fifth by Hughes but eventually the top two got the job done for Cippenham and a 4-2 victory ensued.

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Mary Heffernan became the main support to the unbeaten Antonina Bohach as Cippenham’s second team jumped up a place to take the runners-up medals in Division 4. Most of the hard work was done on Saturday as Cippenham opened up with a 5-1 win over Greenhouse 2. Mary won twice, including a close match with Zeina Negm, Antonina won her customary two in straight-games fashion and Julie Dean added a win over Ashleigh Sharp. It was a case of deja-vu in the second match as another 5-1 win was registered, this time over Haltom 3. Antonina was given her sternest test of the weekend by Francesca Currie who Mary also beat over five games but Cippenham were 5-0 up before Julie Dean lost a dead rubber to Chloe Ireland who, ironically, now plays for Cippenham in the Maidenhead League but was representing her home-town club. Saturday concluded with a 4-2 win over Butterfly Lilleshall Lightning for whom Rebecca Hurrell beat both Julie and Mary.

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The Sunday morning match was against divisional leaders Cleeve Park with Cippenham requiring a victory to extend much hope of robbing their opponents of the title. It was not to be as a 3-3 draw was only secured by Mary prevailing in the final set against Rita Lopes. The weekend ended with another 3-3 draw, this time against Drumchapel Glasgow 3. Antonina won her two at a canter after Mary had put Cippenham ahead with a first-set win over Shannon Brown.