Mighty fine week for the on-song Walmersley's HIGH-FLYING Longsight were swept away by a Walmersley 'A' tidal wave while Walmersley 'B' continued their determined run by brushing aside HRM 'B'.

Missing the wet-nurse, crisis-calm skills of Yvonne Lancaster and Bev Gregory, Longsight slumped to a heavy defeat despite the efforts of stand-ins Sue McClelland and Cecilia Roger. Partnering skipper Paul Nicholson, Ms Roger, all soft-ball stealth and court geometry, offered an almost surreal contrast to Nicholson's baseline bombast.

In similar vein, Longsight's Mickey Smith hit the ball harder than Harper Green has seen but even then not sufficiently to intimidate the athletic volleying and aggressive play of Lisa Morley.

While Mrs Morley and Dave Gerrard did their damage in swift sorties of footpad finality, Steve Routledge and Gail Blackburn preferred the noiseless, low-key torture of a thousand returns, Mrs Blackburn administering the coup de grace after Routledge's baseline rapier had, in lengthy chessboard rallies, skinned a little here, a little there.

Walmersley 'B' had a comfortable victory, despite among other HRM virtues the improved play of Georgina Ryding. The complementary skills of Mark Booth's power, Win Lees' guile and consistent shot control and the back-up provided by Helen Artingstall and Jill Fletcher, experienced, talented and mobile always seemed likely to prevail.

Astley and Bradshaw offer currently the greatest challenge to Walmersley in Division 2. Bradshaw had an easy win over a sub-strength Eagley, while Astley's three-quarter youthful side had too much fire-power for Markland Hill 'B'.

The Hill's skipper, A P Henderson, had the honour of playing the shot of the week -- a twisting, salmon-leaping, back to the net volley, a never to be forgotten sight for those present.

Bolton School 'C's win over Egerton featured two opponents of similar virtues. The School's Terry Booth, veteran, impressed with his trenchant backhand slice, deadly overhead and, all things considered, mobile enough to get back. Egerton's Mike Foxall was no less wily, tempting opponents to destruction, probing and hustling, any loss of youthful pace compensated by anticipation. In the midst of this was Egerton's John Lamprey distinguishable by youthful looks, his textbook shot production and an obvious instinct for the game that good 'uns play. A promising player indeed, but playing a men's set with Booth, Foxall and semi-vet Tony "Wild man" Walsh was surely a new experience as he stood often transfixed at the net watching a demonstration that power hitting isn't the whole game.

Result

Division 1 -- Walmersley A 43, Longsight 18. Division 2 -- Walmersley B 36, HRM B 19; Bradshaw 48 Eagley 9; Astley 37 Markland Hill B 14. Division 3 -- Bolton School A 33 Egerton 24; David Lloyd 39 Walkers B 17.