Dominant Desperados
The name change from mere Gangstas to Desperados should send shockwaves through the Super League contenders this year. The Berkhamsted-based franchise is back, and as strong as ever judging by their clinical disposal of the Academy in the season opener at Westway last night. Anthony Theodossi welcomed schoolboy Ali Leighton and Old Emanuel Robin Malacrida into the team, but with the captain and his wingman Jeremy O’Neill in flying form, the Desperados held far too many aces for an inexperienced Academy. Promising Westway schoolboy Daniel Arwas was given the number three slot for the West London team, but was predictably shell-shocked after back-to-back encounters with the opposing skipper. Daniel will come back stronger, particularly when paired up with the much-missed Academy heavyweights Julian Black and John Reynolds.
Desperados 6-0 Academy
Barney Badgers Dream Start Reduced to Rubble
The Badgers brought some much-needed glamour to Superleague in their encounter with the grizzled Westway Warriors in Courts 1&2. On another day, Beauty may well have slayed the Beast, but the Warrior Chief Freddie Rowe played his trump card by starting current Ladies champ, Lia Redmond at two to set up a fascinating encounter between five of the top ladies currently playing the game. In the first rotation, James Hammond and Andrew Pilkington brought greater consistency to the table in their 15-6 defeat of Charlotta Cooley & Emily Scoones. Match 2 was a humdinger and the game of the evening, as Karen Hird and the impressive Eli Hullis clawed back a 12-6 deficit to draw level with Lia and Freddie Rowe at 14 all. Ten nail-biting minutes later and Karen inched the Badgers over the line to record their first Super League point. James Hammond continued in imperious form throughout the evening to claim three victories, all at 15-6 but Lia Redmond and Andrew Pilkington produced the surprise result of the evening by claiming the scalps of Charlotta Cooley and Eli Hullis 15-13 in the second rotation, before Eli teamed up with Emily to give the Badgers’ a well-deserved second point.
Badgers 2-4 Warriors