The Old Paulines have successfully defended their N/national Club Championship again, scoring an ultimately comfortable win over the Executioners in the final and notching up their third win in succession.
As in 2011, their win came at the expense of the Manchester Y Club in the final – and it was an emphatic win. Having won all four singles matches, the Old Paulines (Dan Tristao, Charlie Brooks, Tom Dean and Ady Lee), they then went on to win all four first-round doubles matches, putting the match beyond Manchester's reach before the second round of doubles games was played.
Perhaps such a result was only to expected, given that the Pauline squad (completed by Ed Kay, who played in the semi-final) included three of the four finalists in the recent N/national Doubles Championship. It also meant that the Executioners – who were emphatically beaten in the semis – had to face doubles pairs who had won the N/national Under 25s Championship and the North West Open. Again, the Paulines won without having to face a second round of doubles in the match.
Still, at least the Executioners could content themselves with a good win over the Alleyn Old Boys in their quarter-final. However, the closest match of the whole tournament was the other quarter-final between Derby Moor and Wessex, eventually won by Derby by a margin of just two points.
They bowed out to Manchester in the semis, but for the second year running, no one could match the Paulines' strength. Can they go on to match Manchester's record five successive wins between 2006 and 2010? On this showing, few would bet against it.
RESULTS
Preliminary round: Old Merchant Taylors bt Old Tonbridgians; Derby Moor bt White Rose Club
Quarter-finals: Old Paulines bt Old Merchant Taylors w/o; Executioners bt Alleyn Old Boys 111-68; Derby Moor bt Wessex 93-91
Semi-finals: Old Paulines bt Executioners 88-26; Manchester bt Derby Moor 125-73
Final: Old Paulines bt Manchester Y Club 88-22