ESSEX CADET AND JUNIOR INTER LEAGUE 7 APRIL 2018
The Essex Cadet and Junior Inter league competitions for Season 2017/2018 were held at the Holmwood House Sports Centre, Lexdon, the home of Colchester League Club, Tollgate, on 7 April. Disappointingly only three Essex Leagues entered the Junior event, Clacton, Colchester and Southend. Originally four teams, Clacton, Colchester and two Southend teams entered the Cadet event but Clacton had to withdraw due to player easter holidays so Colchester entered a second team. Thus there were three rounds of matches to be played in both events. All matches were played on two tables. The Junior format was four players with each player to play two singles and one doubles thus giving a ten match format whilst the Cadets format was three players, nine singles plus one doubles.
CADETS
In the first round Southend A (Daniel Zeffie William Skelt and Livi Jones) crushed Colchester B 10-0, all matches won 3-0. In the other match Colchester A achieved a narrow 6-4 win over Southend B with Ollie Rampton and Andy Huang both winning two matches and joining together to win the doubles with Liam Harris chipping in the vital winning match over Joe Boscombe despite Harrison Sadler winning his three for Southend B.
In the next round Southend A beat Southend B 9-1 with Toby Zeffie winning the one match for the B team. In the other match Colchester A beat their B Team 10-0, all matches won 3-0.
In the final round of matches Southend B beat Colchester B 8-2. Joe Boscombe won his three matches with Luke Burridge winning the two matches for Colchester B. On the other tables Southend A were the favourites to win and they duly achieved this with a narrow 6-4 win over Colchester A, the win only achieved in the final two matches with Daniel Zeffie defeating Ollie Rampton and then joining up with Livi Jones to win in five games over Andy Huang and Liam Harris.
TABLE
P W D L Pts
Southend A 3 3 0 0 25
Colchester A 3 2 0 1 20
Southend B 3 1 0 2 13
Colchester B 3 0 0 3 2
JUNIORS
Despite there being only three teams in the Junior event match results were so close that honours were not resolved until the final match of the last match
The first match was between Clacton and Colchester and after the first four singles and the two doubles the match score stood at 3-3. The match result turned on the next two singles when Scott Campbell and Daniel Young both won five game matches respectively against Bright Bedding and Olly Fifield. Although Arran Hutchinson pulled one back by beating Ethan Lloyd 3-0 Sam Hume’s 3-0 win over Jared Chelski meant that Clacton won 6-4.
The second match was between Colchester and Southend and there was never more than one match between the two teams. Olly Fifield won his two matches for Colchester as did Harry Keys for Southend. The two doubles matches were shared with Matthew Stringer and Harry Keys defeating Jared Chelski and Arran Hutchinson 11-9 in the deciding game. A 5-5 draw was the result.
The final match was between Southend and Clacton with all results possible and once again there was never more than one match between the two teams. Sam Hume and Daniel Young both won their two matches for Clacton and each of the Southend players won one so the singles were divided 4-4. Both doubles went the full distance, Clacton’s Daniel Young/Scott Campbell defeating Harry Small/Reece Harris-Griffiths 12-10 in their decider while on the other table it took a little longer Southend’s Matthew Stringer/Harry Keys defeating Sam Hume/Ethan Lloyd 14-12 in their decider. Another 5-5 draw. Three very close matches with some great rallies and top class table tennis.
TABLE
P W D L Pts
Clacton 2 1 1 0 11
Southend 2 0 2 0 10
Colchester 2 0 1 1 9
Trophies will be presented to the winners and runners up once received.
Arthur C. Clark
Essex Junior Match Secretary