17-year-old Joe Sherwin emerged unbeaten and unscathed to dominate the Clacton League’s 2026 Handicap Singles  Tournament to take the Gordon Denton Trophy for the first time, in the final defeating his Brotherhood J team-mate, 16-year old Ruby Gallagher.

Sherwin (-5), displaying an array of forehand and backhand attacking shots, allied with the strategic and intermittent use of positive defensive pushing, was always in control against Gallagher (+1) who wasn’t quite able to produce the exceptional form she’d shown on her way to the final. 

Sherwin took the first set 11-4 with ease but Gallagher, to her credit, showed great spirit in fighting back, narrowly losing the second 12-10 and, using her slight handicap advantage to good effect, giving herself hope by taking the third 11-7.

But Sherwin was not to be denied and, despite a slight wobble at 9-7 up in the fourth, he powered his way to a well-merited 11-4, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9 victory to end the day unbeaten in all his seven matches.

Sherwin had qualified for the knockout stage by topping a very competitive group comprising Scott Campbell, Paul Newbould and another of his team-mates, Lucy Carvell. Indeed, it was Carvell (+1) who provided him with his closest match of the day, Sherwin (on -5) recovering from a poor start to win 3-2 (3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9).

In the knockout phase, he showed no mercy against Hazel Blanche in Round One, eliminated a third Brotherhood J team-mate, Tom Bryden, in the quarter-final before defeating Ferdy Rodriguez in the semi-final.

Gallagher had qualified second in her group, looking most impressive in defeating Gerry Widnell and then Tricia Salter in a match played off scratch, before losing to the 2011 and 2023 champion, Russell Hillier.

But she was irresistible in the first three rounds of the knockout stage, surprising many of the spectators, as well as her opponents, with her flowing and consistent attacking play. In Round One (on +3) she eliminated top-ranked Ethan Lloyd (-11) 11-7, 11-0, 11-0, then (on +1) dominated Gary Stallwood (-6) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4 before, in the semi-final (on +1) getting the better of the dangerous Kelvin Olano-Harper (-6) 11-9, 11-7, 11-9.

During the day, there were many other notable performances, none more so than from Ferdy Rodriguez who played out of his skin to reach the semi-finals. He was also involved in two of the closest matches of the day, in the group stage (on -5) edging past Gary Barnes (+1) 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 15-13, and in the quarter-finals (on +2) winning a marathon see-saw encounter with the highly-talented Scott Campbell (-8) 11-6, 8-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-9.

Honourable mentions should also go to five of the League’s less-celebrated players from the Third Division. Hazel Blanche, Adrian Sexton and James Horsler, all players who regularly support the Tournament year in, year out, deservedly all qualified for the knockout stage for the first time, as did Gary Barnes and Tony Aresti, both playing in their first League season.

But credit should go to all 32 competitors who, throughout the day, played their matches in a first-class sporting manner which contributed once again to an excellent tournament.

Main results – Final : Joe Sherwin (-5) beat Ruby Gallagher (+1) 11-4, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9; Semi-finals : Sherwin (-6) beat Ferdy Rodriguez (+1) 12-10, 11-6, 11-9; Gallagher (+1) beat Kelvin Olano-Harper (-6) 11-9, 11-7, 11-9; Quarter-finals : Sherwin (-3) beat Tom Bryden (+1) 13-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-6; Gallagher (+1) beat Gary Stallwood (-6) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4; Rodriguez (+2) beat Scott Campbell (-8) 11-6, 8-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-9; Olano-Harper (+1) beat Russell Hillier (-1) 11-5, 11-6, 15-13.

For the record, Joe Sherwin was the 35th different winner in the tournament’s 42-year history. Of the 32 competitors in the 2026 Tournament, 23 were veterans but only two made it to the quarter-finals – six of the eight players, including three juniors, who reached the quarter-finals were members of the league’s younger generation, an indication of their dominance this year.

Also, it was only the third time in the tournament’s history that the final had been contested by two juniors, the previous occasions being 2006 (when Matt Wright beat Jason Gale) and in 2010 (when Matt Wright defeated James Denyer). And although detailed records do not exist, it must be the rarest of events when a winner of the tournament defeats all three of their league team-mates on their way to taking the title. 

* The big match in Division One of the League between current favourites Brotherhood A and reigning champions Nomads Panthers ended with honours even.

In what proved to be a highly competitive encounter, yet one played in played in the most affable of spirits, James Denyer stayed unbeaten for the Panthers. For Brotherhood, there were two each for Gary Young and Kevin Gowlett and one for Daniel Young, who suffered his first reverses of the season at the hands of Denyer and Greg Green. Five of the individual matches went all the way, with Green involved in three of them, losing 11-9 in the fifth to Kevin Gowlett and 15-13 in the fifth to Gary Young but defeating Daniel Young 11-6 in the fifth.

Nomads Lions met bottom-team Windsor Buzzards and were predictable 10-0 winners, a result which, temporarily at least, moves them to the top of the table. One-from-bottom Walton B also suffered a whitewash defeat, this at the hands of Windsor Hawks, John Barton notching up a first treble of the season.

Brotherhood C beat Brotherhood B 7-3, ‘C’ team reserve Adi Kamma unbeaten, while Gary Cattermole won three, and John Pattrick and Phil Smith two each as Windsor Eagles defeated Walton A 8-2, Mark Gale getting the Walton points.

In Division Two, Brotherhood G defeated a two-player Brotherhood D 7-3, Mark Boyland unbeaten in his two singles and sharing a doubles victory with John Gallagher.

There were three each for Neil Chegwidden and Paul Alden in Brotherhood F’s 8-2 win against Windsor Harriers. Tricia Salter so nearly got her hat-trick, her three singles going the distance, winning two, including a fine victory over Barry Allen, but edged out 13-11 in the decider by Isabel Barton.

A Paul Woolnough treble was the highlight of Windsor Penguins’ 6-4 victory against Nomads Jaguars, Woolnough beating Andy Hart 11-7 in the fifth and Chris Petrou 11-9 in the fifth. Kelvin Olano-Harper won two for the Penguins, as did Hart for the Jaguars.

Nomads Tigers celebrated a first win of the season, 6-4 against Windsor Kestrels. Tom Wilkin won three, Alex Baldock two and Sam Watling one, but it was a close-run thing for the Tigers, Wilkin edging past Peter Aumord 12-10 in the decider and Baldock just getting the better of Allen Denyer 11-9 in the decider.

In Division Three, pace-setters Brotherhood H defeated a below-strength Windsor Magpies 10-0, Dan Grindrod, Danny Still and Owen Woollard the winning trio.

Doug Green and Dominic Joannou remained undefeated as Nomads Leopards beat Windsor Falcons 8-2, although the match was closer than the scoreline suggests, the Leopards winning four of the five matches which went the distance. Green’s 16-14 in the decider victory over Matt Thomas was the closest.

There were hat-tricks for Lynette Sparks and Maggie Earle in Walton C’s 8-2 win over Holland Lancasters. Earle had a tight 15-13 in the fifth win against Dave Wright while Holland’s Tony Aresti enjoyed a debut League success, 13-11 in the fifth against Debroah Pallett.

Finally, Holland Vulcans were narrow 6-4 winners against Brotherhood E, Bob Keefe’s maximum including a 13-11 in the decider win against Rodney Betts, thus denying Betts a first hat-trick of the season.  

RESULTS
Division 1
Nomads Panthers 5 Brotherhood A 5
Walton A 2 Windsor Eagles 8
Brotherhood C 7 Brotherhood B 3
Windsor Buzzards 0 Nomads Lions 10
Windsor Hawks 10 Walton B 0
Division 2
Brotherhood D 3 Brotherhood G 7
Windsor Harriers 2 Brotherhood F 8
Nomads Tigers 6 Windsor Kestrels 4
Nomads Jaguars 4 Windsor Penguins 6
Division 3
Windsor Falcons 2 Nomads Leopards 8
Walton C 8 Holland Lancasters 2
Brotherhood E 4 Holland Vulcans 6
Brotherhood H 10 Windsor Magpies 0