NEWLY-installed England U17 number one Rachel Perkins teamed up with university graduate David Cross to lead Circus Barton Acorn to a maximum 27-pointer over Torbay & District Medley League rivals Newton Abbot.

Nine straight wins in the evening in this match from Division Three gave the home side plenty to cheer, but their winning run was nearly ended in the final game of the night with Russell Walker and Kim Coats hanging on to beat Ronnie Leitch and Sam Hodsoll (Newton Abbot) 25-23.

Perkins had good support in the ladies' doubles from Sarah Nickells and Gill Geaves and David Cross could always rely on Russell Walker and Kim Coats.

To concede 18 games in a row was tough on Newton Abbot with Julia Barton, Jenny Allen, Eve Earle, Simon Tuckett and Leitch and Hodsoll all getting well into double figures at some stage.

Over at Kingsteignton, the resident B-team were left trailing in the wake of visitors Totnes A, who had Terry Cole and Sarah Rittershausen spearheading the attack in the

24-3 victory.

Kingsteignton pressed hard throughout with Tina Johns at the heart of the action, going to three sets alongside respective partners Richard Goldsworthy and Lauren Sangster.

Their other three-ender saw team-mates Phil Mulligan and Anita Southcott lose out to Cole and Rittershausen 18-21, 21-17, 21-7.

In Division Two, Dawvale beat Broadmeadow 27-0 with the visitors running out of steam mid-way through the match after failing to reach double figures in eight of the final nine games.

Meanwhile in Division One, the in-house derby at Kingskerswell Hall between Marine A and Marine B saw the A-team triumph 20-7.

The B-team won three of the nine games of men's doubles with Chris Bird and Simon Heusen beating Martin Webber and Phil Drew 16-21, 21-18, 22-20.

B-team ladies Sonia Curran and Kirsty Brewer emulated their two team-mates by beating sisters Krys Webber and Jo Bojar 21-17, 16-21, 22-20.